A Different Decision
by AllenP3989
Summary: A "What if?" fanfic based on "The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya". One-shot. UPDATE: Extended by request.
1. A Different Decision

So there I was, standing before Nagato, right after she had changed the world. No longer with any powers, nor any memories (except for one) of the world as it had been just a few minutes before, Nagato was looking lost and confused. Miss Asahina (the older version) was standing nearby. It was freezing, and I was aware that I couldn't feel my toes. A weird thing to be worried about when I'm about to make the most important decision of my life. And right now I'm suffering from indecision. I'm arguing with myself. In my mind, there's another version of myself, lecturing and interrogating me in an obnoxiously schoolmasterish manner.

"Now listen up, because this is an important question," my other self says, "weren't you tired of Haruhi's world? Admit it, you can't stand Haruhi, and the trouble she's always getting you into. What sane person would prefer that world? It wasn't any fun at all, was it?" I think about it for a second. Finally, I answer. Of course it was fun. Who wouldn't want to hang out with aliens, time travelers, and espers? Don't ask questions with answers that are so obvious!

I was about to try to convince Nagato to change the world back. I'm hoping that maybe the old Nagato is in there somewhere, even though rationally I know that this is just the shy, bookish girl I met two days ago. Failing that, I'll use the correction program that the past version of Nagato gave me. The real Nagato, in my mind. The great goddess who saves the day when things get really serious, like when the world was threatened by a giant cave cricket from another dimension. The one who saved me from Asakura when the latter tried to kill me to watch Haruhi's reaction.

Of course, it changes things a little to know that it was Nagato herself who decided to remake the world. When I had thought it was some unknown enemy, it was easy to charge headlong into trying to find out how to restore the world to the way it was. But finding out that it was Nagato...

And suddenly the other me spoke up again in my mind. "Hey, you, I'm not finished yet! You've still got another important question to answer!" What is it now? "Maybe you're nuts enough to be okay with Haruhi's world, but what about everybody else? Do you think Miss Asahina enjoyed being molested by Haruhi on a daily basis? That Koizumi enjoyed having to deal with closed space every night when Haruhi had nightmares? Speaking of whom, do you really think it's healthy for somebody to be surrounded by people who cater to her every whim? If you keeping bending to everything she wants, she's going to grow up to be a spoiled child in an adult's body, who also happens to have godlike power. Is that really what you want? And with Nagato, I think you already have your answer. Would she have remade the world if she was okay with it?" he says, his logic annoyingly obvious. But, she left an escape program too. Why would she do that if she didn't want the world changed back?

My other self says, "Maybe she left that escape program for a different reason." Like what? "Think about it, you idiot!" Hey! "She recreates the entire world, perhaps because she really is tired of Haruhi's world. But the world she creates also happens to be a world that most people would think _you_ would be okay with, given how much you complain about Haruhi's world. But still, just in case you're not happy with this world she created, Nagato leaves you, and only you, a choice of whether to stay in that world or not, regardless of what she might want. Don't you think you're missing something important?" I know what you're getting at, but I'm not buying it. "Think about how the version of Nagato in this world acted. How she didn't call the men in white coats after your outburst when you first met her. How she smiled when you said you were coming back to the Literary Club. How she almost cried when you returned the application form." The image of Nagato barely holding back tears, weakly grabbing the literary club form, rose unbidden to my mind, and I felt an unexpected surge of guilt.

But she wasn't the real Nagato, was she? She's too different from the Nagato I know. She seemed so lost, and afraid, and shy, while the Nagato I knew was always calm, always had all the answers, and was certainly withdrawn but definitely not shy. She couldn't be the same person I knew before. "And how do you know that?" my other self retorts. "How much do you know about Nagato, really? What is she hiding behind that stoic expression she always has? Maybe the Nagato in this world is how Nagato really is, but she either can't express it, because that's not something she was made to do, or she won't because she's afraid it would cause the universe to unravel if Haruhi found out."

For some reason, I start thinking of scenes from the past.

Nagato has just reconstructed the classroom after defeating Asakura. Running a pale, delicate-looking hand over her face, she realizes something. "I forgot to recreate the glasses," she says. I reply, "Actually, I think you look cuter without glasses."

The next day, we meet outside her apartment building, with Haruhi. Nagato still hasn't recreated the glasses.

Next scene.

Haruhi and I are trapped in closed space. Nagato has sent a cryptic message, via Koizumi: Turn on the computer. Nagato says that the Data Integration Thought Entity wants Haruhi to return, or else it will lose the chance for auto-evolution. She also says that she, as an individual, wants me to return.

Next scene.

It's cold. I just got done carrying a space heater all the way up the hill to our school, my daily Sisyphusean labor made all the more difficult by the extra weight. I fall asleep in the clubroom. I wake up later, with Haruhi standing over me. Haruhi, who sent me to get the space heater, is laying her coat on my back. But there's already a cardigan there. The same one Nagato wore, although she has already gone home.

Next scene.

Nagato is having her own internal struggle, of sorts. She is done with Haruhi's world, ready to get rid of it and lead a normal life. She doesn't care if she doesn't have her powers, or most of her memories in that world. There's only one memory she wants to keep. She's ready to change my memories, along with everyone else's. But something stops her from doing that. She can't bring herself to change me in that way. And instead, she decides to leave me with my memories of Haruhi's crazy world. And what's more, she leaves me with a way out.

Part of her asks why she would take that risk. If the world is changed back, and the Data Integration Thought Entity finds out what she did, she'll be punished. "Because…" she responds, "I want Kyon to have that choice." Why, the other part of her mind asks, is that so important. "Because I love Kyon."

WAIT! That last scene couldn't have happened, could it? And yet it explained so much. And I know the other ones happened. I'm struggling with this, trying to find some hole in the argument. Could I really have been that oblivious?

I'm an idiot. "Nah, don't be so hard on yourself," the other me says. "I mean, let's face it, it's hard to imagine you and Nagato, seeing as she's an interface. Or at least, she was. Maybe that's part of the reason she wanted to become human." Well, this just made my choice a hell of a lot harder. "Why?" my other self asks. "What would be so bad about living in this world, other than not getting to see any more weird stuff? Even completely disregarding how Nagato feels about it, do you really want to give up what could be a good life for some thrills? There's someone in this world who loves you, who, although she doesn't know it anymore, created this world so that she and you could be happy in it, but also loved you enough to let you choose which world you wanted, even if that choice would leave her heartbroken. Would you give that up just for some fun and excitement in the short run?" He makes a good point. If someone like Nagato loved you enough to do that, how could you not love her back? It wasn't really something I had given a lot of thought to before, just given how otherworldly Nagato was, but of course I cared about her. And if the price of making her happy was that I didn't have my life endangered every other month, and that I might possibly find someone I could happily spend the rest of my life with, was that so much to ask?

"Kyon," said Miss Asahina, "you've been standing there for five minutes. Are you all right?" Yeah, I'm fine. Poor Nagato's shivering, though. But I finally knew what my decision was.

"Miss Asahina," I said, "I'm sorry." And then I raised up the gun that Nagato gave me for administering the correction program, and dashed it into pieces on the ground.

I was falling again, and the world was fading to black.

Why was I in the literary clubroom again? I realized, suddenly, that Haruhi, Nagato, Koizumi, and Asahina were all there. Nagato's head was bowed, Koizumi had a very Koizumi-ish look, Asahina looked confused, and Haruhi looked annoyed. The computer screen, however, was blank. No message from Nagato was there. "John!" Haruhi said, "Why did you press the shift key? I thought you wanted to go back to your world." "Huh?" I said. "Don't tell me you confused the shift key with the enter key, John." Wait a minute, I did press the enter key. But then again, I ended up choosing this world. "No," I replied, "I didn't. I just decided, at the last minute, that I like this world better."

Haruhi started off on a rant about how boring I'd have to be to choose a world like this, when I could live in a world with aliens, time travelers, and espers. I tuned her out, and turned to Nagato, who was looking at me again. I see tears running down her face. I'm so sorry, Nagato. I shouldn't have put you through that. But I figured it out in the end, didn't I? "Nagato," I said, "I think I made a mistake. Could I have the form back?"

And through her tears, she smiled at me. That alone was worth a thousand crazy adventures. And who knows, our lives are still ahead of us. Maybe we'll have some adventures of our own.


	2. Altered World

December 23

Just another day in the literature clubroom. Nagato was sitting in the corner, reading quietly, as she usually did. So far, we haven't engaged in any literary club type activities. Of course, I only joined a few days ago, and I'm the first since Nagato to join. She probably wasn't sure what activities we should have. We spoke to each other sometimes. Nagato, I noticed, really was painfully shy. Sometimes it hurt, to see her like that, when I remembered how difficult it was to phase Nagato in Haruhi's world. But this world, this life, it was what she wanted, wasn't it? She wanted to be a normal girl, didn't she? I really hope I was right about that, because it's not like I can take back the choice I made, at the last minute, now. And, of course, it was very possible that this version of Nagato, this personality of hers, was more similar than I could know to the version I'd met in Haruhi's world.

After all, everyone else was basically the same, right? Koizumi was still the inscrutable yes-man for Haruhi, Miss Asahina was still the _moe_ archetype, Haruhi was still an eccentric high-school girl with very little regard for others. So why should I assume that Nagato, and only Nagato, had been fundamentally altered? More likely, it seemed, this was Nagato behind the almost entirely expressionless façade. And it's not like this was entirely a change for the worse. This world's version of Nagato was easier to read, for one. Also, Nagato with emotional expressions is incredibly cute. Is it wrong that I get a funny feeling in my stomach when she catches herself staring at me, and looks away, obviously embarrassed, blushing involuntarily?

Since the 20th, we haven't really talked about what happened those three days. Everybody else assumes that the reason I was acting so weird was that I caught the virus that was going around, and was made a bit delirious by the fever. The fact that, after I chose to remain in this world, I started acting more or less normally, sort of helped my case, and I encouraged the assumption that my behavior was due to fever. I wonder if Nagato planned it like this, if this is why she had the virus go around. So that if I chose to stay in this world, I would have a plausible excuse for my behavior, and not alienate everyone I knew with my strange behavior. Miss Asahina is still terrified of me, of course, and Tsuruya gives me the evil eye whenever she sees me, but at least Miss Asakura seems to have forgiven my behavior when I first saw her in this world. Which is good, because I'm pretty sure that spending time with Nagato would be very difficult without Asakura's approval, given how protective she is of Nagato.

But I know that everything I said was true. And I have a souvenir to prove it. A relic from Haruhi's world, left by the very person who altered it, Nagato herself. I suppose I keep the bookmark primarily as a proof to myself that I'm really not insane, that Haruhi Suzumiya was once a being with godlike powers, Nagato was once an alien, Asahina was a time traveler, and Koizumi was an esper, and we all went to North High together, and the world changed about a week ago. If I can't be sure of that, then it would be easy to believe that almost a year of my life was a delusion. If I thought that, then I might go legitimately insane. So that's definitely one reason for holding on to the bookmark.

But there's another reason. Even though I've convinced myself that the way Nagato seems to feel towards me in this world is how she felt about me in Haruhi's world, I'm worried that she may have lost a part of herself, when she altered her own memories. She doesn't remember saving me from Asakura when Asakura tried to kill me to see how Haruhi would react. She doesn't remember defeating the cave cricket entity. She doesn't remember stoically suffering through the Endless Summer. She doesn't remember changing the world, and leaving me with a choice of what world I preferred. All she remembers is that I helped her get a library card, because she was too afraid to ask the librarians. I feel like she might have, I guess, shortchanged herself, in a way. She only remembered being, although it pains me to say it, weak, and dependent, when I knew for a fact that Nagato was strong, stronger than any person I knew.

And there was a hint of that in this world's version. When I returned the literary club form, although she only barely held back tears, she didn't cry. She didn't beg me to stay, or attempt to guilt me. She only said two words: "I understand". That was the Nagato I knew.

But Nagato doesn't know that's who she was. And there's no way I can really tell her that, without sounding psychotic. So I keep the bookmark she left, as a reminder of the person I knew. The person who I chose to remain in this world for.

I suppose I would have had different doubts if I had gone through with administering the correction program. At some point, I think, I would have realized that I dragged everyone else back into Haruhi's crazy world. And I would have felt guilty about the life I didn't allow Nagato to live. In fact, if the Data Integration Thought Entity knew what Nagato did, bringing back Haruhi's world might have been signing her death sentence. I think there might have been a way for me to stop that from happening, but I really don't know if it would have worked.

Anyway, it was at this point that I realized that I had been staring blankly at Nagato for five minutes, and she was clearly uncomfortable under my gaze. She was self-consciously touching her hair, looking away, and blushing furiously. Sorry, but she really is cute when she does that.

I turned my gaze back to the math homework I had been trying, half-heartedly, to do before I lapsed into my current line of thought. Staring blankly at a mathematical proof, I felt my eyes beginning to glaze over. I found myself pulling the bookmark from my pocket, and staring at it. I wish that I could have asked Nagato if this world was what she preferred, just to be sure. Would that really be so much to ask, to not have to doubt my decision?

And then something surprising happened: Nagato spoke. Normally, she didn't talk, unless I spoke to her first, the exception being that time in her apartment, when she told me about the time in the library.

"Can I, uh, ask you something?" she said quietly, blushing softly. She's so cute when that happens, it's really almost criminal.

"Of course, Nagato," I replied, trying to keep my own voice steady. What would she want to ask me about, other than why I was acting so weird from the 18th to the 20th?

"Well, I was wondering, could you tell me more…about what you said, when we met here the first time?"

You mean, when I freaked out, yelled at you, and pinned you against the wall? Honestly, right now, I'd like to forget that, but I figure I brought it on myself, didn't I?

"Sure, what do you want to know?"

"You said that I-that I was an alien. And Haruhi Suzumiya, you said she was somehow important. And you also told me that we repeated the summer 15,000 times."

"Oh, well uh, you know, I think I wasn't quite myself when I said those things."

Liar. You were completely yourself, the only person in this world who was completely himself. But what exactly can I say? I mean, Nagato probably doubts my sanity already, and I figure telling her the story about how she rewrote reality would only feed her (justified) doubts about my mental state.

"But," Nagato said, a note of insistence in her voice, "I saw the bookmark, the one with my handwriting on it, but which I didn't remember writing." My hand involuntarily went to the pocket where I carried the bookmark still, this talisman against doubt. "And I know that the computer turned on without anyone doing anything to it, when Haruhi Suzumiya and those two other people came in." Damn. How could I have expected Nagato to ignore those things? But I still can't tell her that she rewrote the whole universe, can I? Still, I suppose I can be truthful, up to a point.

"It's hard to explain. Really hard. I'm not really sure what all happened myself. But if I remember correctly, in the other world, Haruhi Suzumiya had the power to alter reality, Miss Asahina was a time traveler from the future, Koizumi was an esper, and…you were a humanoid interface. An artificial human, created by the Data Integration Thought Entity."

"And what you said about Miss Asakura, did that also happen?"

That's a rather odd question. I'd rather not answer, since I know that Nagato and Asakura in this world are friends.

"Well, like I said, it wasn't the same as this reality. But yeah, in the other world she did try to kill me. And you…saved me from her."

Nagato looked surprised by this.

"I…what?" she asked.

"You fought Asakura, and kept her from killing me."

She just looked at the floor. She's probably thinking that I'm ready for the psych ward.

"It's just that sometimes I have these moments of déjà vu. And they happen more often when you're around, and when you talked about those things. And…sometimes I feel uncomfortable around Miss Asakura." I realized that she was struggling to get out the last words, as if she was confessing to some terrible crime.

I just gaped. I had no idea that Nagato remembered anything, even vaguely, from Haruhi's world. But then again, it would help explain why she didn't immediately assume that I was completely insane, wouldn't it? Why she even invited me back to the literature club, despite my outburst? Did Nagato plan this, when she altered her memories?

"I feel terrible about it," Nagato continued, "Miss Asakura has always been very kind to me. She takes care of me. I don't deserve it, and it's even worse that I'm scared of her sometimes."

To be honest, the revelation that Nagato is a bit uncomfortable, even a little scared, of Asakura, brings up some fears in my mind. How separate is this world from the madness of Haruhi's world? What if Asakura really is more than she seems, even if she's not who I thought she was? What if there are still traces of that world, in this world? I realize guiltily that this scares me all the more because Nagato, as she currently is, wouldn't be able to protect me, or the world, if any of that happened. Of course, I don't have the right to place that burden on her, but I'm only human.

But I don't have any evidence, other than my memories, and Nagato's vague feelings, to suggest that Asakura is anything other than a concerned friend and neighbor of Nagato's. And it would be wrong of me to set Nagato against her best friend, wouldn't it?

"Yuki-er, I mean, Nagato," it's odd that I slipped up and used her other name, given that I was always pretty formal with her, "I guess that feeling of discomfort, around Asakura, and those feelings of déjà vu, they could be leftover memories, or something of the sort. But the version of Asakura in this world is completely different from the version in the place I came from. She hasn't tried to kill me. As far as I know, there's no reason to assume anything like that about her."

"It's alright," Nagato said.

"What?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"It's alright if you would prefer to call me Yuki. I don't mind." Her tone of voice right now actually says more than that. I'm thinking Nagato would actually prefer if I called her Yuki. And if it makes her happier, I'm hardly going to complain about it.

"Okay…Yuki," I said. And for that small gesture, I was rewarded with a small, beautiful smile.

I don't know for sure if what I thought, about Nagato being in love with me, when she changed the world, is true. But I think I might be falling in love with her.

It occurred to me, of course, that I (might be) falling in love with this version of Yuki, and yet I knew almost nothing about her. I knew little enough about Nagato before she changed the world, and this version of her presumably had her own history, at least as far as her memories were concerned.

"Um, Yuki?"

"Yes," she said, sounding just slightly nervous, as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

"Could you tell me about yourself? If it's okay with you, of course. I don't mean to pry but, why do you live alone?" I really am curious.

"I don't really know much," she began, "about my family. My parents died when I was a lot younger. I never really knew them. A distant cousin of mine took me in for a while. Last March, I moved out on my own, and received the insurance money my parents left."

"Is there a reason why you moved out, Yuki?" I blurted out, not thinking until the words were spoken that this might not be a particularly good question to ask.

"I, um," she started.

"Sorry, I probably shouldn't have asked that. You don't have to tell me," I said.

"No, my cousin-we, uh, didn't get along. She would only let me sleep for a few hours every night. She made me do repetitive tasks for no reason. She always snapped at me when I spoke," I noticed that Yuki was talking more quickly now, and I realized that there was a hint of bitterness in her voice. "She did this even when I was little. Whenever I made a noise, or cried, she would yell at me, and threaten me. And if I cried harder…she would hit me," her voice broke slightly, and I realized that there were tears in her eyes. I sort of wished I hadn't brought this up. And yet I also got the impression that Yuki had wanted to tell this to someone. Had she even told Asakura about this? "She would hit me where no bruises would show, and if a social worker checked on my case, she would scare me so I didn't say anything. She said that since I didn't have any other family, I would go to an institution. But last March, I told the case worker everything. I didn't want them to do anything to my cousin. But I wanted to get out of her home. So I moved to where I live now." The tears were now falling freely from her eyes.

"Yuki," I said, approaching her, not quite sure what I planned on doing. Kneeling before her , and taking her hands in mine, I said, "I'm sorry I made you talk about that."

"No, it's fine. I'm sorry I made you listen to it."

Crap, now I was getting teary-eyed. I turned my face away so that Yuki wouldn't see this rather un-manly display on my part.

I was silently wondering why Yuki would create such a sad life for herself. But then again, maybe it's because this personality is really how she was, and if she wasn't going to completely alter herself, it had to have some backstory in this world. And I suppose it made sense in a way. It's likely that part of the reason this version of Yuki is so shy, and scared, is the way she was treated growing up. I suppose you could say that her relative made her that way. Kind of like how the Data Integration Thought Entity made Nagato with an incomplete personality. Suddenly I was feeling especially hostile to the (now-nonexistent?) being, for what it had apparently done to Yuki.

"I-I've never told anyone about this. Not even Miss Asakura. I was afraid of what she would think of me."

Then she gave me a look that suggested she was also afraid of what I would think of her.

"You don't have to be afraid to tell me anything," I said.

"Kyon," Yuki said. Wait, now she's calling me that? I kind of wish that when Nagato had remade the world, she had given me a less embarrassing nickname.

"Yes?" was what I said.

"I'm sorry for the way I am. I wish I was different. If you don't want to keep coming back here, you don't have to. I know that I'm not great company."

It hurt me more than I could have expected to hear these words. Yuki had (if my theory was correct) remade the world into one where she and I could be happy together, and now, because she was worried that I was bored or uncomfortable around her, she was offering to let me go off and do as I wished, even though it was breaking her heart.

As I rose to my feet, I held onto Yuki's hands, which she took as a sign to stand up with me. I then drew her into a hug. Vaguely, I thought that maybe this was something I had wanted to do for a while, at least since I met Yuki in this world. "Yuki," I said, "I'm happy to spend time with you. If you are fine with spending time with me, of course."

/

Later, after walking with Yuki to the corner market, and then parting ways there, I thought about what had happened. That hug, of course, was purely a friendly gesture, right? Nothing at all amorous here, folks. Just comforting a friend who was obviously somewhat distressed. In this world, and in Haruhi's world, Yuki had received very little in the way of outright care and affection.

And I do care about her, don't I? That's why I chose this world, even though Haruhi's was more interesting, isn't it? In Haruhi's world, I had trusted Nagato. I saw her as an ally, a savior, someone to be trusted above all others. And I was grateful for what she did for me.

But are my motives that pure? I'm not using Nagato as my replacement _moe_ character, now that I've alienated Asahina, am I? I mean, I'm above such base motivations, right? Unfortunately, the Miss Asahina photo gallery from Haruhi's world begs to differ from that last assertion. Of course, I had always thought that Nagato was cute (especially without glasses), but I had never seriously thought of her in that way, really, just given how alien she was in character. But now I was worried that I might be taking advantage of her, or on the verge of doing that. That I might be on the verge of taking something pure and beautiful, Nagato's apparent love for me, and sullying it with my lower impulses. I'm really not any better than Haruhi, am I?


	3. Wavering

Still December 23

As I got ready for bed, I thought further about what had happened that evening. There was nothing wrong with what I did, was there? It was weird that I should get so worked up over this, when I hadn't obsessed over the way I acted when I first met Nagato in this world. Apparently, yelling at her and scaring her didn't worry me as much as showing her affection. What did that say about me? I wondered.

And Yuki had hugged me back, smiling softly at me afterwards, and when we walked backed from school together. Even as I worried about what I had done, the memory brought a feeling of warmth. So why was I worried in the first place?

"Because you're still not sure if that's the real Nagato, and if she would approve of what's happening." Oh, great, it's the schoolmasterish inner version of me. The one who convinced me to stay in this world in the first place. "Yeah, well, I'm just stating the facts. That's why you're not sure of what you're doing. You're worried about whether Nagato would approve of this. You're worried that if this world really wasn't what she wanted, and if she didn't want to be the way she is now, then by choosing this world, and also having a relationship with this world's version of Nagato, you might be betraying her trust."

Yeah, pretty much.

"But you chose this world because of Nagato, because you thought this was what she wanted. You were ready to go back to Haruhi's world until you thought about it."

True, maybe I did, but didn't I have my own, selfish reasons for staying in this world? That Nagato just happens to be incredibly cute in this world, and also appears to have a crush on me, did I choose this world because of that? Perhaps I'm not the incorruptible hero I thought I was.

"Good grief, is it such a bad thing if you're also happy with this world, with Yuki the way she is now? Does choosing this world have to be some great and terrible sacrifice for you, in order for it to be the right decision? Nagato also wanted you to be happy in this world, after all, so why would that be so wrong?"

Because I don't know if that's what she wanted. I can't know for sure. Everything I've thought about it is surmise. Maybe I have pretty good evidence for it, but there's still that seed of doubt in my mind, like a pebble in your shoe that bothers you whenever you walk. And do I know for sure that, just because Nagato thought she wanted to be this way before, she would have made the same decision after experiencing life as a human? I remember her shivering, terrified and confused, the night she altered the world, how painfully shy she was in her everyday life, and how vulnerable she was. Was that really what she wanted?

"Oh, come on, we've been through this already. What do you want, a signed confession from Nagato?"

That made me think of the bookmark. I checked my pants pocket for it, only to find them empty. Where did it go!? I thought frantically. I searched through my coat, my school blazer, everything. I was at my wit's end when I saw the bookmark laying, nondescript, on the floor beside my desk. How did it get there? As I picked it up, I decided that it must have fallen there when I wasn't paying attention. Relieved, I held the bookmark close, as if it was a charm against evil spirits.

I'm really missing Nagato, right now. As strange and as alien as she was, I could always count on her to have all the answers. What did she want from me? Was it really so much to ask, to know that?

As I climbed into bed, pulling the cover over myself, I told myself that there was no point in doubting my decision now. But if I was wrong, how could I face Yuki, going forward?

/

December 24

It was cold when I woke up. My sister rushed in to pull the blanket off my bed.

As I struggled to get into my school clothes, I was grateful again that today was the last day of classes for the term. I felt exhausted, and could hardly will myself to move. I ate half-heartedly, and set off into the even more bitter cold outside.

Walking to school, I thought I might see Taniguchi or Kunikida walking in the same direction, but I didn't see either of them today.

To my surprise, however, I saw someone else entirely, walking in my direction: Ryoko Asakura, our class representative, formerly an aberrant humanoid interface who had tried to kill me to get a reaction from Haruhi, but now, to all appearances, a normal high school girl. Of course, what Yuki had told me the night before, about feeling uncomfortable around Asakura, combined with my own bad experiences with her, made it necessary for me to will myself not to run as fast as I could to get away from her.

"Hello, Miss Asakura," I said to her, as she approached. Please don't pull a knife on me, I thought.

"Hello, Kyon," she said sweetly. Great, I thought, everybody's still calling me that, "or is it John Smith?" She heard about that? Yuki didn't tell her, did she? But then again, why shouldn't she? It's not like I swore her to secrecy, did I?

"Um, yeah, about that-," I began, but was cut off by Asakura.

"Miss Tsuruya said that Miss Asahina was dragged to the literature clubroom by a girl she didn't know, claiming to be Haruhi Suzumiya, the same girl you seemed to think is supposed to be in my seat in class," Asakura said, referring to what I had claimed when we first met in this world. And apparently she's got her own network of informants around school.

"I was going to ask Miss Nagato about this, but she told me on the same day that you had decided to join the literature club. She seemed so happy, I didn't want to bother her about it. But last night she got back to her apartment a little later than she normally does." Is this something you check up on regularly? I wondered.

"Was she all right?" I asked, genuinely concerned.

"She said so, when I asked her. But something didn't seem quite right. So I asked her if what Tsuruya told me was true. She didn't seem to want to talk about it, at first, but eventually she admitted that some very strange things happened when you and Miss Suzumiya showed up in the literature clubroom. She said that the computer turned on for no reason, and displayed a message that was supposed to have been left by her. But she didn't remember writing it."

I remember that.

Asakura continued, "And then she said that the message was supposed to tell you how to return to 'your own world', whatever that was supposed to mean, and that you made it seem like you wanted to return, but then changed your mind. Is that right?" she asked sweetly.

Basically, yeah. Although the particular version of events, where I hit the shift key instead of the enter key, that everyone else seems to remember, didn't happen, as far as I know.

"Asakura," I replied, "Is there a point to all of this?"

"It's very strange that the computer turned on, all on its own, isn't it?" said Asakura, with a hint of knowingness in her voice.

"Are you implying something?" I asked. I got the distinct impression that Asakura suspected me of something, but I wasn't quite sure what. I had assumed that she just wrote off my strange behavior those three day to delirium, and she had said as much on the day after I deactivated the escape program: "I'm glad you're feeling better." But now it appeared that she was at least a little suspicious of me, and what she had interrogated Yuki to find out had only increased her suspicions.

"I believed Miss Nagato when she told me that she didn't do anything to the computer in the clubroom. But I find it hard to accept that it really just turned on all on its own." I think I'm getting a better idea of what Asakura suspects. She thinks _I _modified the computer to turn on. But what possible motivation could I have for that?

"Miss Nagato's a little oblivious to this, but a lot of boys at this school like her. And you know that Miss Nagato's very fond of science fiction stories, things about interdimensional travelers and the sort." Wait a minute, does Asakura think this was all some sort of elaborate ruse on my part, to make Yuki interested in me? Do I really seem like that kind of person?

"Miss Asakura," I said calmly, "I don't think there's really a good explanation for what happened those three days. I guess you could say I wasn't myself, and I appreciate that you and Nagato were willing to humor me in my delirium. But I can assure you, whatever happened wasn't because of anything I planned." And your evidence for that assertion?

Although Asakura was looking at me as innocently as ever, I got the impression that I was being glared at suspiciously. She doesn't believe a word I've just said, does she?

"You do remember what I told you, when we met in Miss Nagato's apartment, don't you?" said Asakura. How could I forget?"

"Yes," I said.

"I really did mean it," she said, "I would never forgive you if you hurt Miss Nagato. And you really don't want me to hold a grudge against you."

Honestly, right now I was scared. Miss Asakura might seem perfectly harmless and normal, but I'm as suspicious of her as she seems to be of me. I really have to wonder why, of all the people to bring back, Nagato brought back Asakura. Was that intentional? Was there some significance to the fact that Asakura was in this world? Or was it a mistake, an accident? I remember that when Nagato defeated Asakura, and reconstructed the classroom where the aberrant interface tried to kill me, she forgot to recreate her glasses. It wasn't a huge thing (and she looked cuter without glasses, anyway), but it did prove that she was fallible. Could it be that, in recreating the whole world, she'd made some mistakes, some imperfections in her handiwork, and that Asakura was one of them? Of course, Asakura was just being protective of Yuki, who she seemed to care about a lot, and it's not like her suspicions were necessarily irrational, given how weird I acted for three days.

These were my thoughts as I walked into school, parting ways with Asakura to go to my locker, only to have to face her again as we arrived in class. Still, that didn't make me half so nervous as sitting with my back to her all morning. Thankfully, this was a half-day, and after the end-of-term ceremonies we would be released to go home or to club activities.

At the end of the day, I climbed the stairs to the literature clubroom. To my surprise, I actually realized that I had been looking forward to this all day, and not just because it would get me out of stabbing distance of Asakura. Maybe Yuki will smile at me again. Good grief, I'm really turning into a hopeless case, aren't I?

When I entered the clubroom, the first thing I noticed was that Yuki, seated in her chair in the corner, seemed more nervous than usual. What was the reason for that? Had I gone too far the day before? I suppose that would be me. I'm just like Haruhi, the charging idiot, and now Yuki's probably as scared of me as she was after we first met here.

But she spoke first, as I sat down at the table: "Kyon I-I'm sorry if you didn't want me to tell Miss Asakura what happened here the other day with Haruhi Suzumiya. I didn't even think it was something I shouldn't have said until after it was done."

Wait, that's what she was worried about? I mean, I kind of wish she hadn't let that slip to Asakura, given how suspicious Asakura became afterwards, but Yuki could hardly have predicted that outcome, could she? "Don't worry, Yuki, it's not like you were sworn to secrecy, or anything. The whole thing was pretty crazy." "I don't know," Yuki replied, her pale hand patting her face and hair uncertainly, "It's just that, after I told her, Miss Asakura seemed to get very suspicious, and she said that she-that she thought I should be more careful around you."

I don't know. I guess, if I were to look at it from Asakura's perspective, it wouldn't be unreasonable to be suspicious. After all, I had shown up here on the 18th, shouted a bunch of nonsense about aliens and time travelers, and generally acted like someone who was off his meds or telling a tall tale. And then, two days later, I brought an eccentric girl, Haruhi Suzumiya, and her male friend from another high school, allowed Haruhi to abduct Miss Asahina, and brought them all here to the literary clubroom, barging in on Yuki's space. It occurred to me that it showed incredible forbearance (or, unfortunately more likely, timidity) on Yuki's part that she didn't kick us all out after Haruhi started talking about remodeling the literary clubroom. And I suppose it would have been possible for me to rig the computer to turn on automatically and display that message, though I would have had to be pretty crafty about it, far more crafty than I actually am, unless I had someone else's help.

"I don't know. I can't really argue with her logic, based on what she's seen and heard. I've really acted like an ass, haven't I? I can't blame Asakura, or you, for not trusting me." I said resignedly.

"I trust you," Yuki said quietly.

What?

"I saw the bookmark, and I saw the computer turn on. And I don't think you would try to trick me. I can't explain why, but everything you said somehow seemed like it should be true, even though I know it can't be. I can't know if you really came from another world, but I, well, uh, I know that something strange happened those three days. And it ended when Haruhi Suzumiya came in here and that-that message appeared on the computer."

Well, it was good to know that Asakura's suspicions apparently hadn't rubbed off on Yuki. It would bother me if she thought I had been trying to mess with her mind, much more than if she thought I was simply crazy. But then she said something else, something that was more problematic for me to talk about.

"But that made me think of something else. Why did you press the shift key?" Yuki asked.

That struck dangerously close to information that I couldn't quite be honest with her about, even given what she already knew. After all, how would she react if I told her that she was the one who had changed the world as we knew it? Assuming she didn't think I was telling a tall tale, would the knowledge somehow disturb her, that she did something so momentous, and didn't remember a thing about it? Would she feel guilty, about altering everybody except me, without their knowledge or consent?

I realized, of course, that Yuki meant the event, which apparently everybody else who had been in the clubroom at the time remembered, that deactivated the escape program, but which I didn't remember. But it was a pertinent question. And it might relate to Asakura's suspicions about me. After all, if I hit the shift key and nothing happened, then that would be much easier to rig up than something actually happening when I hit the enter key. To an outside observer it would probably be evidence that I had staged the whole thing. I only said:

"Why do you ask?"

"Because when you returned the form to me, I-I knew you were ready to go back. You spent all that time trying to find Miss Suzumiya, and to get back to your own world. But then you decided, at the last minute, to stay. Why?" she finished, blushing slightly and looking away, as if she were ashamed of what she said.

What should I say? The truth would be stranger by far than fiction.

"It's just that I, when you were leaving, I couldn't stand it. I almost cried. You didn't change what you were doing because you-because you felt sorry for me, did you?" Yuki continued.

Well, how should I respond to that? I mean, sort of, yes. But it was more than that. It was because I knew (or at least, I thought I knew at the time) that Nagato as I had known her wanted this world the way it was, and I felt I owed her that much. And maybe it was also because I kind of liked Yuki, and thought it wouldn't be so bad to spend time with her the way she was now. But was it because she had been on the verge of tears when I decided to leave? No. Maybe that makes me heartless, but Yuki's tears hadn't stopped me from activating the escape program.

"No, that wasn't the reason, Yuki." I figure I have to be honest about that, even it hurts her slightly. I can't bring myself to lie to her about that. But her response surprised me.

"Good," she replied, relaxing slightly, "I-I couldn't accept it, if I knew you did something that you didn't want to do, because I couldn't control myself. I would feel terrible about it, knowing that I caused you to be unhappy."

It bothered me that she should be so worried about that. But I love her for saying it, that she hadn't wanted to guilt me into staying in this world if it wasn't what I wanted.

"I just, um, I have another-another question," she struggled with the words, seeming extremely uncomfortable. "Go ahead," I said, trying to sound encouraging.

"I was wondering why the message that was on the computer screen appeared next to my name."

That was another thing I hadn't thought of explaining to her. How should I go about this?

"Oh, well, that's because, um, you-that is, the version of you in the other world, the one who was an alien-made the escape program," I said, even though I didn't quite like where this line of questioning was going. I couldn't exactly tell her that she was the one who remade the world.

"I see," Yuki said quietly, "How was the other version of me-how was she able to do that? And how did the world end up changing in the first place?"

I was worried that Yuki suspected the truth. What could I say, that would be believable? Eventually, I was stuck using the lamest lie ever:

"I don't know."

Yuki looked away, seeming to hide her face from me, as if she had been the one evading questions. I felt a little guilty for lying to her, but I've already established that I really don't have a choice at this point. I can't tell her that she remade the world.

"I'm sorry," Yuki said, still looking away.

"What?" I asked, a little baffled.

"I'm sorry that I'm not the person you…thought I was," she said quietly, "I-I'm weak. I can't do a-anything important on my own. I couldn't do any of the things that you say I did before." It felt terrible, to see denigrate herself so. And it hit harder because it was sort of true. In some ways, I had liked Nagato better the way she used to be, the one who always had all the answers, the one who always saved the day. I wished I could tell her about how she had changed the world, about how she had chosen a normal (okay, relatively normal) life, in a normal world, where she didn't _need_ to have powers, where she wouldn't have to protect anyone. But I couldn't do that, not right after telling her that I didn't know how the world changed. But I could at least try to make her feel better.

"I don't mind the way you are now, Yuki. I think that, really, you're the same person I knew before, though without the powers. But you don't have to have powers in this world. It's fine for you to be a normal high school girl. I'm happy with that."

"Is that true?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes," I said, "because I-well, I-I like spending time with you, Yuki." Good grief, I'm stumbling over my own words. Did Yuki seem just slightly disappointed, as if she had expected me to make a stronger statement? Nah, it was probably just my overactive imagination.

We both sat silently, for a few minutes. I think I could have handled this better, but I'm only human. I really do want Yuki to be happy, though. That was what changed my decision. If I was wrong, I should at least try to make the best of this. And if it makes Yuki happy to spend time with me, should I avoid doing that just because I might be okay with it, too?

"Er, Yuki, what are you planning on doing over the break?"

"Nothing much," she said quietly.

"I was kind of wondering if you would like to, uh, you know, go somewhere with me. Maybe to lunch? We could also go to a movie, or the library, if you prefer, or…" I continued babbling, until I noticed that Yuki was smiling, and nodding her head. Really, why does she have to be so cute?

We set a date for the 26th, when I would meet her at her apartment, at 10am. Not that it was a date like that, of course. I just figure it can't hurt for Yuki to have a friend in this world besides Asakura, who seems a little overprotective. And honestly, I would find it difficult to go back to spending all my time with Taniguchi and Kunikida. If this develops into something else, I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, won't I? I mean, it's how I deal with everything else, right?

/

Of course, on the evening of the 25th it occurred to me that I really had no idea where to go with Yuki. The library, really? I mean, she probably spends plenty of time there, anyway. Maybe the bookstore? I could see if there was a book that Yuki really liked, and buy it for her. I mean, it's the least I can do, after everything she's done for me. And I found that in this world, I actually have extra cash to spend, given that I haven't had Haruhi making demands on my finances as well as my time for the last eight months in this world.

But then again, I wasn't really sure what kind of books Yuki likes. I know Asakura mentioned in passing that Yuki likes science fiction. But that's still a little vague.

Maybe a movie? A sci-fi film? I don't know, I guess I could ask Yuki what she would like to go to. And with that, I put off the issue until the next morning.


	4. Snow and Silence

December 26

I got up bright and early (okay, I got up at 8:30am, but it was bright and early for a vacation day) for my date (no, my friendly excursion) with Yuki. My sister wondered why I was up so early. "You weren't up this early yesterday when I wanted to open my present from Santa," she pouted. Really, how could she still believe in Santa at her age? Still, I did feel slightly guilty for not waking up until 10:30am the previous day. Although my little sister doesn't call me "big brother" anymore (which I wish she would call me, rather than my unfortunate nickname), I know she still likes to spend time with me, and since high school started I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with her (though you'd think that, without SOS Brigade, or any other club, activities, I would have had more spare time. I wish I had some sort of dossier on what I was supposed to have been doing after school these last eight months).

"Look, I'll do my best to make it up to you later, okay? It's just that I agreed to go out with a friend today."

"Are you going on a date, Kyon?"

"No, what would make you think that?"

"Because you combed your hair."

My little sister is a lot more perceptive than I give her credit for. Who was I trying to impress? After all, Yuki and I were just friends, for now at least, meeting for the day.

"Hey, maybe I just decided to make an early New Year's resolution to look more presentable."

"Okay, whatever you say, Kyon. Have fun on your date!"

Why was it that I felt like my sister doesn't take anything I say seriously, any more than Haruhi did? That unexpectedly brought up a bit of nostalgia for the crazy SOS Brigade days. Still, it's better not to be in constant danger of being killed by the weird stuff in Haruhi's world, right? And this is the world Nagato wanted. If I couldn't believe that, then my biggest reason for choosing this world would be gone. Still, I know Haruhi had been interested in starting up the SOS Brigade in this world, but she seemed to have lost interest when I decided to remain in this world. And it really wouldn't be the same, since in this world I'm guessing there aren't any aliens, time travelers, or espers, right?

As I set off for Yuki's apartment at 9:35, I tried to push these sorts of thoughts out of my mind. I chose a normal world, after all, so I should try to be happy with it. And I really think I could be, with Yuki here. But I still wish I could have asked Nagato, if this was really what she wanted. I suppose second-guessing is the price one pays for any important decision.

As I walked, I figured I should try to figure out some place to go with Yuki. I really should learn more about what she's interested in. I know that Nagato in Haruhi's world was interested in reading, and in computers, but that's really all I know about her interests. I didn't know if Yuki in this world was interested in computers, but I would guess, based on the ancient computer in the literary clubroom, that computers aren't something she gives a whole lot of thought to in this world. Then again, maybe that's just because those were the resources available to her. I suppose it would have made sense for her to join the computer research society if she was really interested in computers, but maybe she was too shy.

I wasn't getting anywhere with this line of thought, since it really didn't help me to think of a place to go. It might be a bit of a cop-out, but maybe Yuki and I should go to the library together. Or I could wait and see what she wants to do. As I arrived at Yuki's apartment complex, I pressed the button for apartment 708. I remember the last time I did this, I was with Miss Asahina (the older version), going to Nagato for help in changing the world back to the way it was. I wonder what happened to older Miss Asahina afterwards? I guess she's no longer a time traveler, since time travelers don't exist in this world. The Miss Asahina I met in this world, and who I've probably alienated permanently, will presumably just grow up to be a very attractive woman in the future, without any emotional scarring from being molested by Haruhi. That's not a terrible fate, is it?

And there goes my train of thought running completely off the tracks again. I was brought back to reality by the sound of Yuki's voice, slightly nervous, coming over the speaker: "Yes?" "Hi, Yuki, it's me," I responded. "Um, come in," she said, and the door opened. I knew the way to her apartment, and went straight to room 708, knocking once on the door. I was greeted by Yuki, who was smiling softly, despite obviously being a little nervous. Yeah, sure, it wasn't a date. So why were we both acting nervous, as if it was?

I noticed that, rather than her school uniform, which Nagato wore all the time in Haruhi's world, Yuki was dressed in slacks and a green sweater. It suited her well. Modest, but incredibly cute, nonetheless. Wordlessly, and blushing slightly, Yuki led me to the room with the kotatsu, where she had served me tea just a week earlier. Sitting down, I noticed that her pajamas and pillow were still beside it, a fact that, when she noticed it, caused her to blush a little more with embarrassment, although it didn't bother me particularly. My own room's often a mess, so I'm hardly in a position to criticize others for being untidy. I was casting about, in my mind, for something to say to break the awkward silence.

"How was your walk over here?" Yuki asked, still sounding a little nervous. Honestly, my walk was cold. But what I said was, "It was fine. How was Christmas?" I don't know if Yuki celebrates Christmas, but I do remember that Asakura mentioned something about getting Yuki a gift for the occasion. I suppose I have to admit that, my apprehensions aside, Miss Asakura in this world really does seem like a very kind and generous person. Too bad I can't help but think of her as a knife-wielding psychopath.

"Christmas? It was all right. Miss Asakura visited, and brought dinner." Of course. "So, uh, what did you guys talk about?" I was really hoping that I wasn't one of the topics of conversation. "We talked about how we thought we did on exams," Yuki said, "and, um," she paused slightly. I was pretty sure I knew what was coming. "We talked about your visit," she finished, slightly nervous. Ah. Yep, I was right. "So what did she say?" I asked, a little bit nervous myself.

"She said that it's fine, and to enjoy myself, but to be careful." I see. At least I have Asakura's tacit approval, which is a good thing at least.

Changing the subject before it got more awkward, I said, "So, um, where did you want to go today? I was thinking, if there's a film out that you really wanted to see, we could go see it. Or we can do something else, like going to the library, if that's what you prefer. It's really up to you, Yuki."

It just so happened that there was a film Yuki was interested in seeing, that had its first showing for the day at 11:30 at a nearby theater. "Have you eaten?" I asked. I had a bowl of cold cereal this morning, and wouldn't say no if she wanted to stop to eat before the movie. She shook her head, so I suggested that we grab a late breakfast/early lunch before the movie.

Yuki didn't seem sure where she wanted to eat (I'm guessing that she doesn't eat out a lot), so I picked the cafe the SOS Brigade used to go to, for old time's sake.

As we entered the restaurant, Yuki said, "I'm getting that feeling again. Did we do this…before?" Several times that I can think of, yeah. And if you count the Endless Summer, a lot more times than that, probably. "Yeah, we went here as the SOS Brigade," I replied.

After we ordered and were seated, Yuki asked, "Do you miss it?"

I knew what she was referring to. Did I miss all of the crazy stuff that happened in Haruhi's world, all the stuff we did in the SOS Brigade? Yeah, I really did. But there's more to life than just having fun, isn't there? It took me a little bit to decide on my response.

"Sort of, I guess. I mean, it had its fun moments. But then again, there were lots of times when I was scared out of my mind, or annoyed, or bored, and those were as much a part of it as the fun moments."

"What was-the other version of me like?" asked Yuki.

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised that Yuki would be curious about what she was like before the world changed, assuming she accepted my whole crazy story at face value. I mean, if somebody came in and said that before a certain point in time, you had been an alien (or a time traveler, esper, or god, for that matter) wouldn't you be curious to know? But I wasn't really sure how to go about it. Telling Yuki too much might lead to me accidentally revealing that she was the person who changed the world, something I had already decided not to do. And then there was the fact that I knew embarrassingly little about Nagato. She wasn't exactly an easy person to get to know, you know? I could read her more easily than most people, but even I missed a lot. Look at how off-guard I was caught when she changed the world.

"Well, like I said, you were a humanoid interface. An alien, basically. You had a lot of powers, sort of like magic, which came in handy in a lot of situations." This is more or less a rehash of what I told her when we first met.

"Yes, but, well, what was I-that is-what was she like, as a person, the other version of me?"

Ah, she wanted to know what her personality was like. I was temporarily prevented from responding as we received our food. I insisted on paying for both meals, of course. I figure that since, thanks to Yuki, I don't have to buy food for five people on a fairly regular basis, buying food for two is no onerous burden. Getting our food also gave me time to think about what I was going to say. Nagato's personality had always been the most mysterious thing about her. And I didn't really want to be too blunt. I figured it might hurt Yuki if I said that in Haruhi's world, she just seemed like a lonely, silent girl who sat alone and read books all day. It might hit a little too close to home. On the other hand, I didn't really want to make her sound like she's completely different from the way she was before. Besides not being true, I didn't want Yuki to get the impression that her old self had somehow died, and she was a completely different person who just happened to look like her. Of course, I guess I did have my occasional doubts about that, didn't I?

"Well, you were always very calm," I started, once I was reseated, and it was clear that Yuki wanted me to continue. "Even when I was ready to freak out, you didn't panic. There were a lot of times when you helped calm me down. 'Don't worry', you'd say. I guess it was kind of hard, though, to know a lot about your personality. You didn't really show emotions easily, and I think a lot of times I missed important things that were going on." Well, that's definitely true.

Yuki nodded, as if this made perfect sense to her.

"You were very kind," I continued. "I remember that one day, not all that long ago, I fell asleep in the clubroom. It was cold, and you laid your cardigan over me to keep me warm before you went home."

I wasn't quite sure what other descriptors to use, but I decided to continue. "In the other world, you liked to read a lot." Kind of like now. "You also liked computers. I remember that we were playing a gaming tournament against the computer research society, and they had been cheating. You were able to hack into their system and rewrite the game code to override their cheat." Yuki seemed surprised by this. I guessed she's not especially adept with computers in this world, although I could be wrong. "And you protected us, when dangerous stuff happened. To be honest, I think that you might have gotten tired of it, of always having to save the day."

Yuki remained silent. Whenever I talk about anything from Haruhi's world, I can't help but wonder if I'm inadvertently building a case for my legal insanity. We both ate, relatively slowly. We still had plenty of time before the movie, and this café wasn't the kind of place that usually tried to rush its customers out the door.

"That doesn't sound much like me," said Yuki, at length. "I don't know," I replied, "like I said, there was a lot I didn't know about you. But I really do think you're similar to the person I knew before. I mean, pretty much everyone else I knew was similar in this world to the way they were in the other world." I realized that I was more or less rearguing, with Yuki, the same point I had debated with myself. I wasn't sure whether to continue, but found myself unable to stop, "When I handed back the club form, although you wanted to cry, but held it back, I think that was how your old self would have reacted, if she had been able to show emotions more easily."

I wasn't sure if Yuki was really convinced by what I had said. Some of the things I thought, like how I suspected that her old self might have loved me, and how I was pretty sure that she now had a crush on me, would be more than a little presumptuous to state outright. And of course, I couldn't tell her about how she had been the one who altered the world. So this might make my case seem weaker to her. And I don't think Yuki gives herself enough credit, with regards to having some of Nagato's good qualities. Still, there is only so much that I can tell her, and this is the best I can do, for now.

"Do you still have the-the bookmark, the one that you found?" she asked. As a matter of fact, I was carrying it with me, as I always did. "Sure," I replied, "I actually have it with me." "Would it be okay if I held it for…just a second?" Yuki asked, blushing slightly, as if she had been making some highly improper request. Of course, she was the one who made the bookmark, so I could hardly deny that request, could I? Fishing it out of my inside coat pocket, I handed it to her carefully.

Yuki stared at the bookmark for a few minutes, looking at it as if it were some artifact from another world (which, in a way, it was), running her pale fingers over the characters, written in her own hand, as if trying to unlock some secret knowledge from it. Eventually, she handed it back to me. I re-pocketed it carefully, reverently. Yuki looked like she felt better, afterwards, as if she had assuaged some doubt she had been having. I just hope I haven't made Yuki dependent, as I was, on this relic from another world, to assure her of her mental stability.

Besides her personality in the other world, Yuki was very curious about what everyone else was like, and what their stories in the former world were. If what Asakura said, about Yuki being a science fiction fan, was true, then I suppose this must have all seemed like an interesting, if slightly bizarre, science fiction story. Still, I was painfully conscious of the fact that this must all seem just a little bit like a tall tale. I told her as much as I knew about the other world, and what we did, leaving out some stuff strategically, like the time in closed space with Haruhi, and the Mikuru Asahina photo gallery. It occurred to me that she might ask about that, since I was searching for that file when we first met in this world (wouldn't that have been awkward, if it had actually been on the literature club computer?), but thankfully it didn't come up.

As we got up to leave the restaurant, and made our way to the theater, I wondered what the film would be about. It wasn't one I had heard of before, but then again, I don't really follow new films that closely. Watching the film, I noted the part of it about the interdimensional traveler who fell in love with a woman he met in an alternate dimension. Coincidence? Perhaps, but unlikely. Had this been based on a story that Yuki read, and she had chosen this movie for a reason? Incidentally, the film was surprisingly good, given that I'm normally not a huge fan of science fiction movies.

It was also a fairly long movie. We didn't leave the theater until after three pm, I noticed.

After we left the theater, Yuki and I talked about our impressions of the movie, as we headed over to the library. Yuki mentioned that there were several points of divergence from the original story (so I was right, about it being based on a story she had read). She looked a little sheepish when I mentioned the coincidence of us going to a movie about an interdimensional traveler, but seemed relieved that I had apparently enjoyed the movie.

When we arrived at the library, my first action would have normally been to go find the section with manga in it, read for a while, and eventually fall asleep in one of the reading chairs (what I did the first time I went to the library with Nagato). But today I figured I'd follow Yuki and see what sort of books she liked. I still had it in my head to perhaps buy her something at the bookstore as a gift, and I figured it would help if I had a better idea of what she liked to read.

Science and supernatural fiction seemed to be her preferred genres, from what I could gather. I was wondering what way I could ask her about what sort of books she already owned, to avoid buying a redundant copy, without being overly obvious about it.

However, I realized after an hour or two that while that Yuki was only making a show of reading. She seemed to be distracted by my presence. I was surprised when she suggested that we go somewhere else for the time being, such as the park.

Honestly, being outside in the cold wasn't quite my idea of a good time, but if Yuki wanted to go to the park, I wasn't going to complain. Still, I silently cursed the blast of cold air that hit me in the face as we exited the library. The winter months are not my favorite, and this is not something that's likely to change in this world.

As Yuki and I walked side by side, silently, she looked sort of like she did when she brought me to her apartment, and told me about when we met in the library. It seemed like she was trying to work up her courage to do something, almost deciding to do it, but then hesitating again. Eventually the tension was too much for me, and I asked, "Yuki, is there something you want to tell me?" She looked startled, and blushed slightly. I can't help but think how charming she looks, in her winter coat, with a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

She shook her head slightly, though, leaving me somewhat puzzled. Had I read Yuki incorrectly? Was I simply reading too much into her every gesture?

Then she took her left hand from her pocket, reaching towards me hesitantly, but then drew back, as if from a hot stove. But I was pretty sure that I knew what the reason for this was. Letting go of the bookmark in my pocket (after making sure that it was secure, of course), I took out my right hand, in spite of the cold, and held it open towards Yuki in what I hoped was a welcoming gesture. Hesitating only slightly now, she placed her small, pale hand in mine, allowing me to enclose it in my hand.

I realized that this was the first time that I had walked while holding hands with a girl like this (the times I led my little sister by the hand when she was a little kid were different, for obvious reasons). Yeah, sure, this wasn't a date. So why was I holding hands with Yuki, and enjoying it?

Looking to my right, I noticed Yuki's increasingly familiar smile, small but beautiful, and silently thanked the annoying, schoolmasterish side of my personality for convincing me, at the last minute, to stay in this world. What crazy adventure could I possibly prefer to this? Even as the chill in the air grew more pronounced as the evening faded to dark, I thought that I would gladly walk with Yuki like this forever, if I had the choice. Good grief, can you say "absurdly lovestruck"?

I was slightly surprised when a small spot of cold landed on my cheek, and it took me a second to recognize it as the first of many snowflakes that were falling from the sky. In another instant, I supposed that I realized how appropriate this was, considering who I was walking with.

"Yuki," I said, noting the snowfall. Was I also addressing Yuki, the person walking with me? I'm not sure. But for some reason I was struck by a sense of déjà vu, as if something like this had happened before. To be honest, I was somewhat annoyed by that feeling. Feelings of déjà vu had typically been a bad omen in Haruhi's world, and I didn't want such a feeling to ruin this moment.

Yuki and I stopped, turning slightly towards each other. I noticed her taking her right hand from her pocket, lifting it into the air, catching the white, crystalline precipitation in her equally white hand. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had seen this before, but I couldn't for the life of me place where or how. After all, I think this is the first time that Yuki and I have seen snow together.

As I watched Yuki catching snowflakes in her right hand, I wondered at the significance of her name. Who originally had given her the name she bore, I wondered? I liked to think that maybe she had chosen it for herself, because at this moment it seemed very fitting, that her name should sound like the name of the snow falling silently from the sky. It seemed wrong somehow to think that Yuki's name had just been a label arbitrarily assigned to her by the Data Integration Thought Entity. I suppose that's something I would have like to asked Nagato before she changed the world. But I tried to push the thought from my mind for now. This moment, with Yuki, was something that I felt I should give my full attention to, doubts and worries aside.

And although something, perhaps that nagging doubt, kept me from saying it aloud, I was thinking _Yuki, I love you._

**Author's Note:**

This chapter is a wee bit more "fluffy" in terms of having cute moments but little plot development, than is normally my wont. But then again, it seems it would be a terrible waste to have Disappearance-world fic without cute alternate-Yuki moments.


	5. Encounter

It turned out that the snowfall was just a flurry, and ended after a few minutes. Still, it was a beautiful moment. I just wish I knew why it seemed so strangely familiar. Looking at my watch, I realized that it was almost seven. That, and the chill in the air, suggested that it was probably time to head back home. Of course, I would walk Yuki back to her apartment.

As the two of us left the park, still hand in hand, I found myself struggling between my doubts about Nagato's reasons for changing the world, and the quiet happiness I found in my time with Yuki. I also wondered if such a public display of affection was necessarily well-advised, given social norms*. I wouldn't want anyone to think less of Yuki as a result of something I was doing. But, having gotten past her nervousness in some small way back in the park, she seemed to be insistent, and I certainly wasn't going to complain. In any case, there was hardly anyone out at this hour of the evening, given the temperature.

That is, until I saw a figure approaching us from the opposite direction on the sidewalk. The unidentified individual was short, and feminine-looking, with plentiful, flowing black hair. I figured that the proper course here was to act casual, and hope it wasn't anyone Yuki or I knew.

As the figure came closer, I became aware of a strange fact: I couldn't hear her footsteps. This was one of the things that I had found rather odd about Nagato, her ability to walk without making any sound. I noted that the girl was wearing a Kouyouen Academy uniform, and had a pale, doll-like face that was very beautiful, despite the blank expression.

I expected that this girl might pass us by, perhaps giving the two of us a dirty look, if she was of the particularly prudish type. So it came as a surprise when she changed direction slightly, to come to a stop directly in front of Yuki and me, blocking us. For some reason, this filled me with a sense of foreboding that I couldn't explain. Maybe it was because, with this girl standing three feet in front of us, I could see her eyes, illuminated by the streetlights. The look in them terrified me, for some reason. The look in those large, dark eyes was not the look of a human being. But why would I think that? Obviously, if this were Haruhi's world, I might assume that this was one of Nagato's kind, a humanoid interface. But even Nagato, the most alien of the interfaces by behavior, had some hint of humanity in her gaze. That hint was lacking in this girl's eyes.

But more problematically, there weren't supposed to be aliens in this world. So why was that the only thing I could think of to describe this girl? I briefly considered walking around her, guiding Yuki away from the faint danger I perceived, but figured that this probably wouldn't help if the girl was more than she looked on the surface. And besides, these were probably just irrational fears on my part, maybe a trick of the light. And I didn't want to be rude, especially if this girl was just in need of our assistance, and afraid to say it aloud. After all, I knew somebody else who wasn't always good at talking to people.

"Um…hello," I began, "Can we help you with anything, Miss…?"

"Kuyo Suou," the girl replied.

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the teaser-length chapter, but I couldn't resist the urge to put in a cliffhanger. If you haven't read the most recent light novels: Stuff is about to happen. I think it can still be engaging if you haven't read them, though, so please don't be discouraged from continuing to read this story.

*In my (admittedly very limited) experience, public displays of affection are uncommon, and somewhat frowned upon, in Japan. Of course, if you are reading this, then there is 73.8% chance that you already knew that.

Reviews (positive, or constructive criticism) appreciated, as always.


	6. Crisis

"Kuyo Suou," replied the short, dark-haired girl.

I wasn't really sure how to respond. What business did this girl have with us? I couldn't help but attach some terrible significance to this meeting, and yet I had no idea what that significance should be. After all, there was no Data Integration Thought Entity in this world, was there? So therefore, my wild thought that this girl might be a humanoid interface was clearly absurd to the extreme.

"I see, Miss…Suou. Is there anything that we can help you with?" Honestly, I was hoping that this was just some eccentric girl, who would walk away after sufficiently weirding out the random strangers she had happened to meet on a sidewalk.

"Come_with me_," replied the girl, her strange, doll-like expression unchanging. What? I didn't even know her. And who was she commanding, anyway? Me, or Yuki? From the trembling I detected in Yuki's hand, I was able to determine that she didn't know who this girl was, either, and was vaguely disturbed by her appearance. I was almost certain now that some sort of trouble was afoot. The only question, really, was its magnitude.

"Is there someone who needs help elsewhere?" I replied dumbly, as if I expected a coherent answer.

She pointed one of her ghostly fingers in our general direction. I wasn't sure if she meant to indicate Yuki, me, or both of us.

"Advanced_Data_Creation Capability_transferred," she said. What was that about "Data Creation"? Hadn't Nagato said something about that before? It was supposed to be the power that Haruhi had which the Data Integration Thought Entity considered so important, that was somehow the key to "auto-evolution", whatever that was. Who was this girl standing in front of Yuki and me? I was beginning to feel like our world was being turned upside down.

"Come_with_me_direct_study," she said, pointing more clearly at Yuki this time. I could tell that this disturbed Yuki greatly as well, since her hand started trembling even more. I squeezed her hand just slightly, to make sure she knew that I wouldn't let this strange apparition take her anywhere against her will, not while I had anything to say about it. But then again, if this girl was anything akin to what I thought she might be, what could I really do?

"Now, wait just a minute," I said, hoping that what I thought about this situation was incorrect, "I don't think either of us is completely sure what you're asking. Now if there's…" "Do not_interfere," Kuyo Suou responded, reaching towards Yuki.

"No!" I said, grabbing the girl's reaching arm. If she turns out to just be a mentally disturbed girl, I hope I'm not judged too harshly for this. I suppose this might build the case, to a disinterested third party, that I'm dangerously unstable, and prone to violence.

Kuyo Suou looked towards me, her dark, strange gaze boring into my eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry but-" I was cut off by the girl,

"Interesting_human_pretty_eyes."

What? That was a complete non sequitur.

"You_come too_," she said, in a flat monotone. I shivered. Where did this strange girl plan to take Yuki, or me, for that matter? And again, what the hell was going on? Still, apart from her strange speech, and her allusion to data creation, this girl hadn't shown any hard evidence as of yet to suggest that she was an alien of any sort.

That is until, with surprising force, she wrenched her arm from mine, pushing me onto the ground, with me landing rather unceremoniously on my rear, and then seemingly in the same motion grabbed onto Yuki's left arm, as our hands came apart.

"Stop!" I yelled, half-angry, half-scared, as the girl clamped her hand over Yuki's arm. Yuki visibly struggled against her, looking terrified. Dammit, what the hell was I doing, literally sitting on my butt ineffectually while Yuki was being accosted by this bizarre visitor? As I rose to try a second time to defend Yuki, I saw her collapse to her knees, her head lolling as if she were in a faint. What happened to her? If that girl, Kuyo Suou, had done anything to Yuki, then there would be trouble in store for her, alien or no.

As I was about to engage the girl a second time, something even more bizarre happened. I found myself pushed onto the ground yet again, but not by the strange, doll-like girl. All that registered with me at the time was a flash of bluish-tinged hair, and a sense of bizarre déjà vu, as if I had been involved in a similar scene before.

As my brain gathered together its scattered threads of thought, I realized with a start that the person who had pushed me aside this time was none other than Miss Asakura. What was she doing here? My immediate impulse, upon being surprised by Miss Asakura, was of course to be afraid, but as my eyes took in, during the space of a few milliseconds, the scene unfolding before me, I realized that Miss Asakura had apparently done what I couldn't, forcing the doll-like girl to relinquish her hold on Yuki's left arm. She also forced the strange girl back a few steps, standing in between her and Yuki.

"I could never let you hurt Miss Nagato," she said, sweetly and emphatically.

"Interference_human_stop," said Kuyo Suou incomprehensibly.

The girl attempted to wrench her arm from Miss Asakura's grip, only to find that Miss Asakura's grip was evidently a lot stronger than mine.

"What_are you?" asked the strange girl.

And for once, I could understand her perfectly. There was definitely something not right going on here. What exactly was Asakura's nature in this world?

"Does it really matter?" asked Miss Asakura, her tone of voice not changing in the slightest, "I'm here to protect Miss Nagato. I'll kill anything that threatens her or tries to harm her."

And with that she produced a rather large knife, holding it dangerously towards Kuyo Suou. It was roughly at this point that my idiot brain finally kicked into action, as I rushed to pull Yuki's limp form away from what I had a premonition to be the upcoming fray. Her small frame seemed surprisingly light, possibly because at this point the adrenaline in my system had finally kicked in. Grabbing Yuki under the shoulders, and dragging her in the opposite direction of Kuyo Suou, I saw the strange interloper move with lightning speed to pursue us, only to be blocked by Miss Asakura. Neither of these girls were human, were they? At least, not normal humans. As I saw Miss Asakura wagging he knife at Suou as if she were chastising a misbehaving child, I wasn't sure which one of the two scared me more. Still, Asakura seemed to be on our side, or at least on Yuki's side, so my apprehension was primarily focused on the stranger in this scene.

At this point, I wasn't quite sure what to do. I was vaguely aware of the fight going on a less than ten meters away, but my primary attention was on Yuki, who seemed to have fainted. What should I do? What was wrong with Yuki? Dammit, this is knowledge that might actually be useful right now! As I desperately tried to wake Yuki up, I thought vaguely of calling an emergency line for medical treatment. But if they came, they'd have to bring back-up. And somehow I think drawing more people into this plainly abnormal situation would be useless. Checking Yuki's wrist, I found that she at least had a pulse, and she was breathing normally, so at least her life wasn't in immediate danger.

Looking back at the fight, it seemed, thankfully, that Asakura had the better of it. The other girl was desperately dodging Asakura's knife, retreating with each dodge, but staying just out of Asakura's reach. Eventually, Kuyo Suou retreated entirely, seeming to disappear suddenly. I had to wonder if I had suffered some sort of memory lapse, because the girl almost seemed to have vanished into thin air.

As I cradled Yuki's head with my left arm, I was reaching with my right hand for my cell phone. Whatever the cause of her unconsciousness, she needed to be treated immediately, I thought. Surprisingly, it was Asakura who kept me from calling, calmly grabbing the cell phone from my hand.

"Miss Asakura, what are you doing?" I asked, temporarily forgetting to ask her about the scene that had just played out in front of my eyes. That could wait for later, I figured.

"Miss Nagato will recover in a few minutes," said Asakura calmly, "her unconsciousness was due to that thing's influence, and it should wear off now that it's gone. Please help me get Miss Nagato back to her apartment."

I figured I wasn't really in a position to argue. I'm certain that Yuki and I were in some sort of danger from that strange person, the girl in the Kouyouen uniform, who I suspected wasn't really human to begin with. And Miss Asakura seemed to have protected us from her. I would normally try to express gratitude, but at the moment I was still feeling a little shell-shocked, and just numbly complied with her order.

I ended up carrying Yuki on my back, not all that differently from how I carried Miss Asahina three years ago at Tanabata. Her light frame was surprisingly easy to carry. I could see why Miss Asakura was worried that Yuki didn't eat enough.

After a minute of walking with Yuki on my back, and Asakura nearby, I asked, "Asakura, what just happened back there? Who was that girl who attacked us? And why did you just happen to be there?" I hoped I didn't sound too suspicious in my words, but it seemed a little oddly coincidental that Miss Asakura had shown up right when she was needed, and also apparently was strong enough to defeat a girl who had super-strength, and possibly other abilities that I hadn't seen yet.

I wasn't really sure if I expected Asakura to reply to my question or not. To my surprise, she responded, "I suppose you've seen too much for me to explain this away. And it would make Miss Nagato very sad if I killed you, "she said, causing me to nervously look for the knife that she seemed to have concealed somewhere in her coat. Apparently she had a thing for knives in this world, too.

"Anyway," she continued, "that thing was a humanoid interface," causing my jaw to drop slightly. So my suspicions were right? But how could that be, in this world?

"So does that mean that the Data Integration Thought Entity is still around?" I asked, not even sure if this version of Asakura would know what I was talking about. "No," she replied, "that was an interface of the Macrospatial Quantum Cosmic Existence."

"What's that?" I replied, genuinely dumbfounded.

"I'm not completely sure," Asakura replied frankly, "However, it is different from the Data Integration Thought Enity, but has a similar existence." Now I was really confused. There weren't supposed to be aliens in this world. And here was Asakura, up until now apparently a normal human, telling me that she knew not only about the Data Integration Thought Entity, but also some other cosmic being I didn't even know about."

"Asakura, how do you know also this? And if it's true that the girl back there was a humanoid interface, how were you able to fight her? Are you also an interface? Is the Data Integration Thought Entity still around?"

"I know all this because it is necessary."

"What do you mean?"

"I was Miss Nagato's backup unit in my previous life. Even though my data link was terminated, I still existed, in a manner of speaking. When Miss Nagato recreated this world, I was brought back, to protect her and take care of her."

"So Nagato made you the way you are now?"

"Not consciously. I don't think she ever pondered that she would need someone to assist her in this world," Asakura responded, "but yes. That is my purpose. Any abilities that I need to have, I will have, so that I can protect her. If she needs someone to defend her, I will be as powerful as I need to be. The only one who can disable me is Miss Nagato herself." I see. That's still a little disturbing.

"So you're a, I don't mean to be rude, a defense mechanism, basically?"

"Yes, but don't imagine that I don't have my own judgment. I want Miss Nagato to be happy, above all, and I make my own calls as to what would serve that end." She seemed to add some emphasis to these last words, as she looked at me. What? I wouldn't dare hurt Yuki. Still, I don't like having an apparently superpowered, potentially unstable girl following me around. But once again, she did save us from that interface.

Asakura continued, "To answer your other questions, I am not an interface myself. Apart from my powers, I am a completely ordinary human. Incidentally, I didn't even need full power to fight that thing. Something seems to be interfering with its powers as well. As for the Data Integration Thought Entity, it still exists, but its power has been dramatically reduced, and it cannot interfere with the earth. I think that's also why the Existence's interface wasn't at full power. Whatever data manipulation Miss Nagato performed also interfered with the Existence, although, since she didn't know about its interface here, she couldn't completely eliminate its influence. I can't be sure of its reactions, but the interface seemed surprised that it couldn't use its full power, suggesting it didn't know the extent of Miss Nagato's interference."

Miss Asakura seemed to be talking as much to herself as she was to me, as if this was really just her inner monologue that I was being made privy to. For my own part, this was all a surprise to me, as I tried to take all of this in. So apparently the Data Integration Thought Entity wasn't gone, it was just prevented from interfering with anything on earth. Meanwhile, another being that I didn't even know about until now apparently had at least some ability to interfere, and it happened to have designs on Yuki.

"Miss Asakura, what does the Existence want with Nagato?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she replied, "You really are quite dense." You know, I don't appreciate the insults.

"No, I'm afraid it really isn't obvious to me," I said.

"They want the power that Miss Nagato now controls."

"But Nagato doesn't have any powers," I objected.

"Doesn't she? She was able to take Haruhi Suzumiya's powers, and remake the world. And those powers didn't just disappear into thin air. They're still inside Miss Nagato. However, she deliberately limited her own ability to use them, to make sure that she didn't inadvertently alter this world. The Existence probably noticed the explosion of data, and the fact that it came from a different source this time, so they wanted to study Miss Nagato."

I shuddered to think what purposes this new enemy might have had for Yuki. Could she never have a normal life, even in this world?

"What exactly are we going to do about that?" I asked. Was this interloper going to start following Yuki around, trying to capture her?

"You won't do anything about it, since you'll only be in the way. I will happily protect Miss Nagato, however, just as I've always done. I'll even protect you, as long as Miss Nagato cares for you, because I want her to be happy. But just remember that if you do anything to make her sad," and here she paused, upping the saccharine sweetness of her smile and tone of voice a few notches, "now you know what I can do."

Great. There are still aliens in this world, and our only protection is this girl who may or may not be psychotic. Then again, having a universe under the control of the human incarnation of the blind idiot god Azathoth (aka Haruhi) was arguably worse, so I could still hardly complain. That said, I would really like it if Nagato had been more thorough in ridding the world of alien influences.

As if in response to my thought, I felt Yuki stirring, apparently waking up. Finding herself being carried on my back, she seemed surprised and more than a little embarrassed. As I let her down, I noticed that there was more red in her cheeks than could be accounted for by the cold night air. Good grief. Even in the current circumstances, I can't help but think how cute she looks.

"How-what happened? Did I faint?" she asked. She looked surprised to see Asakura here.

I expected her to ask about the strange girl that had accosted her, and I was a little disturbed when that question wasn't forthcoming. Did Yuki have amnesia? Or was she just in shock? As we walked, I asked, "Um, Yuki, what's the last thing you remember?" I noticed that at the use of Yuki's given name, Asakura stared daggers at me. Good grief, was she really that disapproving?

"I, we were walking, and, um," she glanced nervously towards Asakura, "and I remember seeing a girl, in a Kouyouen Academy uniform, and she stopped in front of us, and-and that's all I remember," Yuki replied. So she didn't remember the girl's strange words, or being attacked. That seemed like awfully convenient memory loss, but why would she lie about what she remembered?

"So you don't remember anything else?" I asked. I noticed that Asakura shot me a warning look, as if I was letting on too much.

"No. Why?" Yuki asked.

"Er, no reason, it's just, uh-"

"I think we need to get you home, and get you something to eat, Miss Nagato. You probably had a case of low blood sugar," Asakura cut in.

"But I feel all right now," Yuki protested faintly.

"Still, when was the last time you ate?" asked Asakura, looking at me reproachfully. I realized, looking at my watch, that it was getting late. Yuki hadn't eaten since 11am. Good going, I thought to myself. She's probably starving. Hell, even I'm feeling a little hungry, despite the circumstances.

We arrived momentarily at Yuki and Asakura's apartment complex. As we entered Yuki's room, I noticed that Asakura gave me a disapproving look as I crossed the threshold without an explicit invitation. Still, she invited me to have dinner with her and Yuki, as she reheated some of the leftovers from the previous evening.

As we ate, Asakura quizzed Yuki on any lingering symptoms she might have from her fainting spell, and suggested she visit a physician. This was ironic, of course, given that Asakura had told me earlier that there was no need for a doctor. But then again, I suppose the "concerned neighbor" role was one she felt the need to play perfectly. I was still reeling at what I had found out about Miss Asakura, and yet I was surprised that, overall, I had taken this so well. The revelation that she apparently remembered things from Haruhi's world (including, possibly, trying to kill me), and had apparently considered killing me in this world for having seen too much, should have reduced me to my pitiable state of a little more than a week ago, when I had been lost and confused in an unfamiliar world. Not to mention the fact that Asakura had just fought off a humanoid interface sent by a different alien being that was still apparently able to interfere in this world.

But one thing still bothered me. Why did Yuki not remember the attack by Kuyo Suou? That gap in her memory seemed to contradict Asakura's assertion that Yuki would be fine. But I had some vague feeling that Asakura had something to do with this, and that was why she was so calm about Yuki's memory lapse.

As Asakura left the apartment, I mentioned that I should probably be getting back home as well, since it was past nine in the evening. I was a little worried at leaving Yuki alone, but I was pretty sure that Asakura would protect her if the alien interface showed up again.

As I was slipping my shoes back on, I felt that slight tug on my sleeve, light as a feather, which Yuki had first used to silently communicate her desire for me to stay for dinner a week before. Turning toward her I saw that she was looking nervous. She opened her mouth slightly, then hesitated, and then finally said, "I-I'm sorry I fainted." What? Even without the given circumstances, I couldn't get angry at her for that. "Don't worry about it," I replied.

"Um," Yuki started, pausing slightly again, "I enjoyed today. Thank you," she said, seeming to bow just slightly. Too cute! "I'm glad, Yuki," I replied. I felt like this goodbye was just slightly awkward, though, the ambiguity of the exact nature of our outing perhaps contributing.

After we both stood there silently for at least ten seconds, Yuki surprised me by taking the initiative, stepping forward and hugging me softly. As I returned her embrace, l thought about how astounding this was to me. It was surprising even now that I was used to Yuki having normal emotional expressions. Who would have thought she would be so direct? Not that I minded, of course. I had hoped that Yuki might gradually open up more to others as time went by, and this seemed like a sign that it was happening, at least a little.

As I let her go at last, I saw that Yuki was smiling happily, almost rapturously. This went beyond being simply cute.

Yuki Nagato was beautiful.

/

As I left Yuki's apartment and made my way to the elevator, I was unsurprised to see that Miss Asakura had been waiting for me. I figured already that this was coming, though that didn't stop it from dampening my elevated spirits.

"You took a while to say goodbye," said Miss Asakura, a hint of suspicion in her voice. "Is there a problem with that?" I replied. "Oh, nothing," said the former humanoid interface, now apparently a superpowered human bodyguard for Yuki, "It's just that Miss Nagato assured me that your outing today was merely a friendly excursion, that's all." I see.

She continued, "I hope you'll be serious about this. I told you that I won't let you do anything to hurt Miss Nagato." "You don't have to worry about that," I replied, "I would never do anything to hurt her." Of course, even as I said that, I remembered handing back the literature club form, and pressing the enter key. Was I being completely honest? And could Asakura see if I wasn't?

"I hope that's true," she said, though she still sounded suspicious.

"Asakura, do you have something against me?" I asked, while pressing the button to hail the elevator.

"What would make you think that?" she replied sweetly, indicating that she probably did.

"Look, you apparently know everything, so you know I wasn't making up a tall tale when I first arrived in this world, so you don't have any reason to be suspicious of that."

"I suppose I just can't understand why Miss Nagato would choose you, of all people. It doesn't really make sense to me, but I can live with her choice as long as she's happy. That's my entire reason for being here, after all."

Well, I guess that's good. But there was something else that I needed to know.

"Miss Asakura," I asked, as the elevator doors opened and we stepped in, "Why can't Yuki remember being attacked by Kuyo Suou?"

Asakura didn't answer until the elevator doors closed completely.

"I simply altered her memories. They would only distress her if she remembered the incident in full," replied Asakura.

I was aghast. "You can't do that!" I said in shock.

"I am unable to alter some of Miss Nagato's memories, such as that time at the library, when she first met you. And I can't alter your memories either, probably because of how Miss Nagato preserved them when she altered the data of this world. But I can alter other memories of hers, if I think she would be happier without them. It would only make her worry if she knew she was being hunted by an alien. And I can protect her. Unlike you," she said pointedly.

A little deflated, I nonetheless continued, "But you're taking away part of who she is. Do you want to keep Yuki in the dark about what's going on around her? To blindfold her against the world?"

"Yes, if seeing those things would make her distressed. And you'll go along with this too, if you really care about her. Do you want Miss Nagato to feel more helpless than she already does?" No, of course not. But to hide the world from her like that wasn't right, was it? Still, I couldn't think of an argument that was likely to convince Asakura.

"At least tell me the next time you decide to alter one of Yuki's memories," I said, defeated, as we exited the elevator at the lobby, "I was worried that there was something really wrong with her, when she didn't remember the incident." As we stepped out of the elevator, Asakura merely smiled at me, and said, "Maybe you're all right after all. I'm sorry I made you worry." I wasn't sure if there was any genuine contrition in her voice, but hearing Asakura apologize to me was still surprising. "By the way," she said, "I'll track you remotely, just in case that thing from this evening attempts to attack you."

Um, thanks. And on that note, I parted from Asakura and left the building.

/

As I walked home, I mulled over everything that had happened that day. Apart from being attacked by an alien of mysterious origins, and ordered around by Asakura (dammit, she wasn't going to replace Haruhi in that way too, was she?), it had been a good day. And that radiant smile from Yuki, as we had broken apart from our embrace, was the crowning moment for the good part of it. I supposed there was no point in denying by then that I had fallen completely for her. Lingering aliens and Yuki's suspicious, self-appointed guardian aside, I still felt extremely fortunate that Nagato had chosen me, of all people.

But had she?

And there I went, through the same cycle of doubt as before. That worry that whatever Nagato's reasons for altering this world, any similarity between her and the person I now knew, I had completely misread. I wished again that Nagato could have sent me some message about what she really wanted. A "go ahead, it's all right," or even a "leave me alone," would have been appreciated, if only I knew for certain.

So it was with mixed feelings that I trudged back home. And I still had to figure out how to deal with Asakura. It wasn't right for her to interfere with Yuki's memories like that. After all, didn't Yuki have a right to know what sort of things might threaten her in this world?

But on the other hand, Asakura had a point. There wasn't much that Yuki or I could do about the alien girl, even if Yuki knew about her. Would Yuki be better off not knowing? And unfortunately, there didn't seem to be much that I could do about Asakura if she decided to alter Yuki's memories in the future, however I might feel about it.

As I arrived at home around 10:00, my sister chastised me for being late, and I retorted that she should already be in bed. I headed up to my room and dressed for bed, not bothering to take a bath. I laid down, and found sleep stealing over me even as I continued my train of thought.

If Yuki really did have Haruhi's powers now, and they were locked within her, did that make Yuki the new "god" of this world, to use Koizumi's characterization of the role Haruhi had? Granted, Asakura had said that Yuki put limits on her ability to use this power, but evidently at least some of it manifested through Asakura's powers. In what other ways did this power manifest itself? And could it be awakened somehow? Obviously, it seemed that Kuyo Suou wanted to study these powers, but to what end? Had she existed before, following Haruhi around, unbeknownst to me, or even Nagato? I shuddered at the thought of a threat that had existed entirely outside of my awareness until this evening.

Good grief, the events of this evening have made the day almost as exhausting as a day in Haruhi's world, I thought as I drifted finally into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

**Reviews appreciated. Also, if you like the story and want to see it continued, reviews may help that happen. Positive reviews stroke my ego and release happy chemicals in my brain, raising my productivity by exactly 54%. Negative reviews (of the constructive variety, of course), motivate me to make up in later chapters for the deficiencies of previous chapters. Either way, the even mildly interested reader wins.**


	7. A Few Problems

Overall, the rest of winter break was relatively peaceful. By relatively, of course, I mean compared to Haruhi's world. The alien interface, Kuyo Suou, didn't show her face again, at least not that I knew of. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, wherever I went. Speaking with Asakura on the 29th of December, after a visit with Yuki, I asked her if she knew anything more about the movements of the Existence interface. Her response was somewhat vague, but she assured me that the interface hadn't come near Yuki since the evening of the 26th.

I still can't say that I completely trust Asakura. Granted, she did save Yuki and me from Suou, but the revelation that the "normal high school student" façade was an act made me a little less trusting. Plus, I was pretty sure that the reason she showed up when she did was that she was following Yuki and me at the time. I didn't like the idea of her spying on us. I wondered if anything she had seen, like Yuki and I holding hands, had made Asakura more hostile to me. And while she hadn't directed her knife at me this time, I still didn't love the thought of going back to school in January to sit in front of Asakura in class. Still, maybe seat assignments will get shuffled.

It's really amazing how easily I came to terms with the fact that Asakura had supernatural powers in this world. I suppose you could say that living in Haruhi's world desensitized me to that sort of thing. Once I was satisfied that Asakura didn't intend to kill me, her powers were a lot easier to accept. I was still bothered, though, by her selective deletion of Yuki's memories.

The break passed too quickly. As the beginning of the next school term approached, Asakura prodded me into doing my homework, which I had been putting off doing all break.

"If you do poorly in school and get held back, that will make Miss Nagato very distressed. And I could never forgive you for that," Asakura said, just a tad threateningly. Great. I'm pretty sure "I could never forgive you" is going to become Asakura's version of Haruhi's "death penalty". Still, I guess it's good to have someone motivating me to get my schoolwork done, since I seem to lack the motivation on my own.

I felt a little bit weird on my first day back at school. I couldn't help but think that everyone still had my recent "delirious episode" in mind, and was looking at me strangely as a result. That said, pointing this out to someone would probably just mark me as paranoid, which wouldn't help my case at all.

I noticed as I entered the classroom that Asakura wasn't there yet. As I took my seat by the window, I wondered where she might be. I supposed she could be shadowing Yuki. How was that going to work with us being at school? I guess Asakura probably has the ability to remotely track Yuki, just as she apparently has the ability to remotely track me.

I had noticed that Asakura seemed to have an odd fixation on Yuki, though. Not just in the "obligated to protect her against harm" way, but in another way that was hard to put my finger on. If I didn't know better I would almost think…nah, that couldn't be. Good grief, sometimes my mind just goes right to the gutter, doesn't it?

I was broken out of this chain of thought by Taniguchi as he clapped me heartily on the back. What the hell was that for?

"I have to say, Kyon, I almost want to ask you for advice. I really would like to know your secret."

What the hell was this bald octopus talking about?

"Taniguchi, rather than making comments with no context whatsoever, would you like to fill me in on what you're talking about?"

"Oh, come on, you know what I'm talking about, Kyon," he said, giving me a sort of demented half-grin. Seriously, you're freaking me out, Taniguchi!

"No, I really have no idea what you're talking about," I said, some of my annoyance showing up in my voice.

"I'm just saying, you've got to be pretty smooth, going from having a nervous breakdown or delirium or whatever caused you to act so weird right before the end of term, to dating an A-minus girl within a week. Honestly, I'd figured that after that incident with Miss Asahina, no girl in this school would give you the time of day, but you apparently managed to pull it off!"

What the hell was he talking about?

"Taniguchi, you're sounding like an idiot," I said succinctly.

"I'm talking about Nagato," he said. Wait a minute, since when did he know anything about the two of us?

"What, you think we're dating?" I asked casually.

"Well, I'm not sure what it is exactly when you have lunch with a girl, and then go to a movie with her, if it's not a date."

"Don't go reading meanings that aren't there," I said calmly. Was Taniguchi stalking us? Though I had to admit, he seemed to be taking this rather well. After all, not only did he not get his date with the girl from Kouyouen Academy (who was she, I wonder?), but he also apparently thought I was going out with Yuki. Which was more than halfway true, really. I would have thought in this case he'd be sulking in jealousy, rather than talking to me cheerfully about it.

"Huh, so you're not?"

"It's a little complicated," I replied. Why should it be complicated? Well, that goes into a whole raft of reasons that I can't discuss with Taniguchi, because he'd probably assume that I really had gone off the deep end.

"What, Nagato can't bear the shame of being seen with you?" he asked, smirking. Don't make me punch you, you wannabe Casanova! Though, I considered somewhat ruefully, it probably didn't build up Yuki's reputation to be seen with the school's designated crazy person.

"No. It's just like I said, it's not a simple matter. Just assume that Nagato and I are good friends, and nothing more." I figured that if I told him anything else, he'd probably tell Kunikida, who would then tell everyone else. Those two were more hopeless gossips than the girls!

"Right, Kyon old buddy," he said, winking at me and giving me a disgusting grin. Honestly, were his facial expressions crafted by somebody looking to create a stereotypical idiot friend?

Although there was quite a bit more than a grain of truth to Taniguchi's assumption, I'd rather he not go spreading that around the school. I figure that it would be bad if Yuki was the last one to know our apparent relationship status. I'm also pretty sure that it would lead to an irate Asakura, and I really didn't want that, especially given that she isn't overly fond of me anyway.

Unfortunately, my hopes that this could be kept under wraps until I myself knew where I stood on Taniguchi's pronouncement were dashed to pieces when Kunikida approached me. And naturally, he was asking whether what he heard from Taniguchi was the truth. I knew that if Kunikida thought I was in a romantic relationship with Yuki, she would automatically become a "weird girl" in his mind. In fact, he was the one who manufactured my entire reputation for liking "weird girls". Which is ironic, because Sasaki really wasn't all that weird, and, more importantly, she wasn't my girlfriend to begin with. She seemed to share Haruhi's view that love and romance were all just a by-product of evolution, and foolish to get caught up in. But I digress:

It was difficult to impress upon Kunikida the importance of not spreading Taniguchi's surmise around the school, given that I couldn't tell him the real reason. As a result, it didn't make any sense to him. And honestly, I couldn't trust him with a secret if his life depended on it.

So by the time class was to start, I was in a rather discontented mood. But that would pale in comparison to the shock I was about to suffer. Believe me, there was nothing funny about what happened next.

/

The class quieted down as Okabe entered the room. He welcomed everyone back from break, and made a few announcements which went in one of my ears and out the other. But his next words struck me as portentous:

"While this is highly unusual, we have a new student joining us this term, who transferred from Kouyouen Academy."

This prompted some excited and bewildered murmurs from the other students, but all of this just washed over me as I processed the oddness of our instructor's announcement. And I was appalled when I saw _that person _enter the room. The girl that attacked Yuki on the 26th.

"Please make Miss Kuyo Suou feel welcome," continued Okabe, as the ghost-like girl walked, in her strange, unearthly manner, into the classroom. She was no longer wearing the Kouyouen uniform, having traded it for the sailor-style uniform for North High girls, but there was no mistaking the identity of the girl entering the room. And when she took the seat behind me, the seat that was supposed to belong to Asakura (in this world, at least), I realized that I was in serious trouble.

"Wait a minute, what are you doing in Asakura's seat!?" I demanded angrily.

"Miss Asakura has a different seat now," answered Okabe for her, indicating a seat in the middle of the room. And right on cue, Miss Asakura entered the room and took her seat, after bowing and apologizing to Okabe for being late. Did she not notice the unwanted interloper here?

Lessons passed by in a haze for me, much as they had when I first discovered Haruhi's absence from North High. Still, the alien interface sat quietly behind me without doing anything overtly suspicious, so all things considered it wasn't too bad. Kuyo Suou, apparently, didn't intend to do anything if there were witnesses present to see it.

It seemed like an eternity before the lunch bell rang, but when it did, I got up from my seat and went over to Asakura's new seat. Glancing nervously at the ghostlike girl sitting by the window, I whispered to Asakura, "What is _she _doing here?" Asakura motioned me to sit down in an empty seat next to hers. Once I was seated, she replied, "Well, obviously she transferred here," stating the blatantly obvious. "You don't know either, do you?" I replied, feeling like I was about to lose my calm. "I'm analyzing the situation right now," responded Asakura, "rather than panicking in a crisis like you are." Hey! I'm not panicking. But what the hell am I supposed to think, when someone who tried to abduct Yuki shows up in class?

Clearly, of course, Kuyo Suou was attempting to get closer to Yuki, either to study her, or something else. That much was apparent. But why was she in our class, rather than Yuki's class? Not that I would rather have her in Yuki's class. The thought of Yuki being in that class, with a being like Kuyo Suou in there, and no one to protect her caused me to shudder. At least the alien interface in this class would have to contend with Asakura if she wanted to try anything.

"It seems obvious that she's trying to get close to Yuki," I said, still whispering. "But why is she in here?"

"I knew that the interface was attempting to transfer into this school, and into Miss Nagato's class. So I did what I could to prevent that from happening," replied Asakura simply, "I couldn't prevent her from transferring to this school, but I saw to it that she would be here, where I could keep an eye on her more easily, rather than anywhere near Miss Nagato."

"Well, you could have given me a heads up," I said, annoyed at the revelation that Asakura apparently saw this coming and had decided not to tell me. "It wouldn't have accomplished anything to tell you," she retorted, "I'm handling the situation. Just sit quietly and don't cause any problems, and I'll resolve the situation, somehow." Easy for her to say, she wasn't the one sitting in front of Kuyo Suou.

"I'm going to eat somewhere else," I replied. The prospect of eating my lunch in the vicinity of that strange person behind me wasn't one that I relished. Besides, I hadn't seen Yuki today, and I wanted to check on her. I had a pretty good idea of where she would be at this hour of the day, so I made my way to the literature clubroom.

As I entered, I was unsurprised to see Yuki sitting in her normal place by the window, reading, as usual. As she turned her face towards me, I saw her expression brighten considerably. It was a welcome change from the first time I met her in this world, when she had stared at me like I was a visitor from another planet.

"Hello." She said simply.

"Hi, Yuki," I said, walking over to my seat next to the table. As I sat down, I pulled my bento from my bag, when I was struck by a thought: "Yuki, when did you have lunch?"

"Oh, well I, that is, I don't usually eat lunch," she answered quietly, turning her face toward the floor.

"That's not good. You'll make yourself ill, not eating lunch," I replied. Granted, I wasn't really one to lecture over health habits, but I couldn't stand for Yuki to go without it, especially when I would be eating right in front of her. "Why don't you have some of mine?" I suggested. At first she was reluctant, but after a minute or two of me pestering her about it, she agreed.

As we ate together, I casually asked Yuki if she had seen Asakura today.

"We walked to school together," she replied.

"Do you two normally walk to school together?" I asked, although I supposed it wasn't really my business. Mostly, I just wanted to know if Asakura's behavior had changed since Kuyo Suou appeared. I was pretty sure that Asakura wasn't normally late for class.

"Sometimes. It depends on when we leave. I usually leave later than Miss Asakura." Yuki replied, "But she left later today than she usually does."

Hmm. It didn't seem like Asakura to just suddenly change her routine, so perhaps she was making more of an effort to be around Yuki 24/7. I was a little reassured, although I wasn't crazy about being shadowed by Asakura whenever I was with Yuki. I mulled over this and other concerns of mine as we finished lunch.

As the lunch period neared its end, I got up to leave. As I straightened my blazer, Yuki walked around the table, and stood before me, her eyes slightly downcast.

"You-you're coming back later, right?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course, Yuki," I replied, "why wouldn't I?"

She was silent for a few seconds before she replied, "You seemed a little preoccupied."

Ah. So it showed. I guess I'm pretty easy to read, aren't I? Unfortunately, it would be a little problematic to tell Yuki about just why I was preoccupied. After all, she didn't even remember the incident with Kuyo Suou, thanks to Asakura. And who was to say how Yuki would react if I told her that this had happened, and the only reason she didn't remember was that Asakura had altered her memories? I would hardly be able to blame her if she was suspicious, and in either case she would be distressed. And even if I could get her to believe it, what could either of us do about it?

While Yuki now apparently possessed Haruhi's powers in some way, she couldn't alter reality at will like Haruhi had. And yet, Asakura herself had said that Yuki was the only person who could "disable" her. How would she do that? Would it require a command? Or simply willing Asakura not to be able to do things like altering her memories?

"It's nothing," I lied, "I'm just not all that crazy about classes starting back."

"Oh-okay." Yuki responded. She looked a little confused, as if she wasn't sure whether to believe what I said or not. Or was that just my guilty conscience picking up on things that weren't there? I wasn't sure.

On impulse, I reached out and took her small, pale hand in mine, and squeezed softly. I couldn't think of any words to say, other than what I had said already. I had to hope that this gesture said what I couldn't verbalize.

As we left the literature clubroom, I found it more than a little difficult to part from Yuki, especially when I let go of her hand.

/

When I arrived back in class I-5, about a minute before lessons were to start again, Asakura asked, in that voice which I had come to recognize as holding a hint of threat under the sweetness, "So, did you enjoy your lunch?" I nodded a little absently. My eyes were drawn, naturally, to the unwelcome visitor who was still at the desk behind mine. I really didn't enjoy the thought of sitting in front of Kuyo Suou for the rest of the school day, but I figured I didn't have a whole lot of choice. Why is it that strange, difficult, and/or threatening girls always sit behind me in class?

Still, the afternoon lessons passed much as the morning lessons had. I even managed to retain some of what our instructor was saying. I was almost able to forget that an alien who had tried to abduct Yuki just a few weeks ago was sitting behind me. It was a little creepy, though, how she seemingly hadn't said a word all day.

As the last class neared its end, I worried about what Kuyo Suou would do after school. Would she follow me to the literary clubroom, and try to abduct Yuki again? Could she do that, with Asakura here?

After the bell rang, I found myself heading automatically out the door of the classroom and, just as I had feared, Kuyo Suou followed me. I wasn't about to lead her to Yuki, especially when I wasn't sure whether Asakura was following (although she probably was), so at the end of the hallway, I turned to face the interface.

"What exactly are you doing here?"

Silence.

"Why did you try to abduct Yuki?"

More silence.

I was frustrated. After babbling incomprehensibly when we first met, Kuyo Suou seemed committed to reticence.

"What are you?"

"A_humanoid_interface of_the Sky Canopy_Dominion"

What? The Sky Canopy Dominion? What was that? Asakura had mentioned a Macrospatial something-or-other, but this term was completely unfamiliar to me.

"Do you mean the Macrospational whatsit Existence?"

"Unfamiliar_term_please provide definition"

"Well," said Asakura's voice, as she approached us, seemingly out of nowhere, with a very fake-looking smile on her face, "It's certainly interesting to know what your kind calls itself."

The interface turned towards Asakura with a look of hostility. I hoped that a fight between the two wouldn't break out here in the hallway, where everyone would see. Though, I noticed, the hallway seemed strangely empty right now. Was this Asakura's doing? Some sort of reality-warping? Or was it Kuyo Suou? My life needs to come with an instruction manual to clarify these points!

"So why is it that you threatened Miss Nagato?" said Asakura.

"Observation_data_manipulation_capability_priority."

"So you're trying to study Yuki's powers?" I asked.  
No response.

"Don't bother asking this thing questions," Asakura said derisively, "I doubt it has any idea what you're talking about."

"My purpose_observation."

That actually sounded a little bit like someone I knew, albeit someone who seemed a lifetime away now.

"Then why did you try to abduct Yuki?" I demanded.

"Abduct_unfamiliar term_define?"

And that was when Asakura struck at her with a knife. I was going to yell at Asakura not to do this where everyone could see, except that I recognized at that moment that we no longer seemed to be in the hallway.

The three of us were in some weird space, a sort of off-white space, through which objects with bizarre geometries swirled. I wasn't sure what was going on, but this seemed reminiscent of the space that Asakura (the version in Haruhi's world) created when she tried to kill me.

"This way no one can bother us while we settle this," said Asakura gleefully, "and it'll also keep you from escaping before I can finish my work." So why have I been dragged along? I fully accept that it would be best for my long-term health not to anger Asakura, after all, so she certainly doesn't need to prove anything to me. The best explanation I could think of was that I had been drawn into this space accidentally.

The fight between Asakura and Suou was far less restrained in this space than during our first encounter, and I witnessed all of it. Asakura seemed to have a seemingly endless supply of knives to throw and stab with (she seems to have thing for sharp and pointy objects, no matter what world she exists in). They both seemed to move with uncanny speed, and in ways that humans shouldn't be able to move. Then again, at least one of the combatants wasn't human at all, and the other was of debatably human nature.

In addition, time seemed to be all wrong. At several points it seemed as if the fight was progressing backwards, and my own perception of time was messed up. I wasn't sure if several seconds, or several thousand had passed. Occasionally, I dodged flying debris thrown out by the two combatants. I noticed that my own reflexes and speed seemed to have been increased. Then again, maybe it's just the nature of the space I was in.

At length, or maybe in a short time, Asakura was finally able to immobilize Kuyo Suou, seemingly with some invisible force that she was able to project remotely. As she advanced on her apparently helpless prey, her knife drawn, she said evenly, "Well, this was certainly easier than I thought it would be. It's almost disappointing, really. I was hoping for at least a bit of a challenge, but that was pathetic." Raising her knife over the interface, bearing an eerie resemblance to the version of herself that had tried to kill me, she looked triumphant.

But then Kuyo Suou seemed to disappear from under her, prompting Asakura to look genuinely confused for a second. I shared that confusion myself, especially when an unseen assailant grabbed my arm from behind, pulling me backwards and nearly causing me to fall. But I was able to guess, from the expression that crossed Asakura's face, who my assailant was. Still, Asakura regained her composure quickly (a little _too _quickly, in my mind), and said, in a nonchalant manner, "You're not planning on killing him, are you? While I personally don't care either way about him, I'm afraid I can't allow that, since it would make my master very upset."

"Define_kill," replied Kuyo Suou from behind me, and then, "release_from_spatial_distortion". "I can't do that unless you release him," said Asakura, point her knife point at me. Crap, did I just get taken hostage? I didn't even ask to get drawn into this fight!

Asakura still stared past me for a few seconds, looking hostile. Then, to my surprise, the bizarre space around me dissolved, and re-formed into the hallway outside of class I-5, now bathed in the reddish glare of the sunset. I felt the hold on my arm released, and turned wildly to see what Kuyo Suou was doing, only to find that she had mysteriously vanished. "What just happened?"

"You got in the way. I could have destroyed her," said Asakura reproachfully. "Hey, I didn't ask to get drawn into that space. What the hell was that, anyway?" I found myself asking.

"I don't know why you were drawn in. I tried to exclude you from it specifically. It's almost as if…." She trailed off. "What? Almost as if what?" I asked. "Nothing," Asakura replied, shaking her head. "No matter," she said, "I've expelled the interface, for now, and I won't slip up on our next encounter."

I was about to ask what possibility it was that Asakura had apparently dismissed, when I noticed the fact that it seemed later now than it should be. It was sunset, but when I was drawn into this space, it had been mid-afternoon, just after classes. What was going on?

"Time passes differently in the distorted space we were in," Asakura said in response.

Crap! I remembered then that I had promised Yuki that I would be coming back to the clubroom right after school. She would probably think I had forgotten! And what the hell was I supposed to say? "I was dragged into an alternate dimension for a few hours while Asakura and an alien that tried to abduct you fought there?"

Leaving Asakura behind, I dashed to the clubroom. I figured that I would just have to apologize profusely, since my excuse certainly wouldn't work. Why have circumstances conspired to make me look like a bigger ass than before?

As I burst into the clubroom, I was relieved, at least, to see that Yuki was still there, and hadn't gone home yet. If she had gone back to her apartment, I wasn't even sure if she would have let me come in to explain myself. But I was a little unnerved to see that she was bent over, her face in her hands and her glasses set aside with her elbows resting on her knees. She gave a slight start as she heard my entry, but didn't change her position.

"Yuki!" I said as I walked towards her, "I'm so sorry I'm late, some stuff came up after class and-and…" I trailed off as I came closer to where Yuki was sitting. She looked so sad and dejected, I wanted to hug her and not let go. But it seemed inappropriate to me, to act as if everything should be okay between us, when as far as Yuki knew, I had ditched her.

She finally looked at me, tears running down her face. This wasn't fair! I hadn't even deliberately done anything to hurt her! But she couldn't know that now, could she? My excuse would sound like the lie of someone who didn't even respect his audience enough to come up with something mildly believable.

"Yuki, I'm really, really sorry. It's just, the time got away from me, and-"

"It's okay," she said softly.

"No, it's not, I promise I'll make it up to you-"

"That's not the reason."

I just stared dumbly at her. What did she mean? That wasn't the reason she was crying? Well, I guess that was good. I certainly didn't want to be the cause of that. But then why had Yuki been crying?

"What's the matter?" I asked her.

Trembling slightly, she pulled what looked like a hastily folded piece of paper from her right pocket. Her hand trembled slightly as she handed it to me. Taking the piece of paper in my hand and unfolding it, I noticed that the paper bore the school letterhead. And as I read the message, printed in official-looking characters, I began to realize what had bothered Yuki so much:

_Due to the persistent failure of the Literature Club to expand its membership and engage in productive club activities, the literature club will be terminated, effective January 31. All literature club materials should be removed by that date._

Signed, Kyosuke Tomokazu, Student Council President.

_To be continued..._


	8. An Unexpected Meeting

I had to reread the notice a few times before it really sank in. Wait a minute, the literature club was going to be cut? How could they do that? Of course, Yuki had probably been the only member of the literature club since last April, just like in Haruhi's world. And she probably didn't do anything but sit in here and read, did she? I guess the student council would probably want the club to write some sort of literary work, to be considered a legitimate organization. That made me think of the files Yuki hadn't wanted me to see on the computer, and I wondered if maybe it was something she was writing in hopes of publishing it as a literature club production. But I was getting distracted. Focus.

I was of two minds on this. On the one hand, I was glad that I was not entirely responsible for Yuki being as upset as she was. On the other hand, this was something that I didn't know how to deal with. Was this the student council's final decision, or something that could be appealed? Surely they couldn't just cut a club, without warning or a chance for appeal. I was almost certain I had read something about that in the student handbook when Haruhi made me do all the paperwork to have the SOS Brigade established as an organization. But was this the first Yuki had heard of it? Unfortunately, I could easily imagine that Yuki might have received a prior notice of the club's impending termination, and despaired of being able to turn it around in time. I had to be sure.

Turning to Yuki, who was still sitting, I asked "Is this the first you've heard of this?"

Yuki nodded quietly.

"You're absolutely certain?" I pressed.

"Y-yes. They didn't tell me anything about this before."

"Well, then, there's got to be some way to appeal this."

Yuki just hung her head and said sadly, "There's no use. I knew this would happen eventually. The club doesn't have enough members to be an official organization."

No! I hadn't realized it before, but the literature club was important to Yuki. After all, she wouldn't have been so upset by the news that it would be disbanded if it wasn't. It was the only school organization that really fit at all with her interests. And I wasn't going to let her give it up so easily!

"You shouldn't take that attitude. I'm sure there's some way to work this out," I responded.

"I would have to find three new members. And I haven't recruited anyone all year. I'm not good at talking to people," she said, her head still downcast.

Crouching slightly beside Yuki so our heads were level with each other, I said "You were able to recruit me, weren't you?" Okay, not the greatest example, since I just happened to burst in here one day demanding answers from her about why the world had changed. But inspiring people doesn't always involve picking the most apt examples.

"Uh-huh," Yuki said, nodding slightly.

"So you see, you already doubled the size of the club. And if it's a matter of recruiting new members, I'll be glad to help you in any way I can." Yeah, never mind that my recruiting skills aren't really stellar, either. But I'll figure out some way to deal with this. And since I'm pretty ineffectual at dealing with Kuyo Suou, I suppose I'll have something to do besides sitting on my hands and waiting for Asakura to resolve the situation. Though I had the uncomfortable feeling that one of us might have to ask Asakura for help on this as well, if only to stay the student council's judgment while we brought the club up to speed.

As Yuki turned her gaze towards me, I saw that her expression had changed to a hopeful smile, causing me to get a funny feeling somewhere between my chest and my abdomen.

Still, as I stood up, I felt like my motivational speech left a lot to be desired. I've never really been one for speeches. But at least this time my words had their intended effect, or so I hoped. I would make sure that the literature club didn't get cut in this world, even if I had to take a leaf from Haruhi's book and bully the student council president over it.

Yuki put her glasses back on and glanced at the darkening window. Taking the hint, I said, "Well, it seems to be getting a bit late," I said, "I guess I'll head out." Just as she had that first evening I had spent here, Yuki got up to gather up her things. After she donned her coat, we left the room together.

As we exited the school gates, I remembered that first time I walked home with her in this world. It had seemed so awkward then. I hadn't been sure what to make of the "new" Nagato that I had met the previous day. In some ways, I still wasn't sure, but what the past version of Nagato told me when I went back in time had changed my understanding of her dramatically. At the time, though, walking with a person who seemed so unfamiliar to me, I had been too distracted with thoughts of what had happened to the world I knew to appreciate the experience.

And I suppose that the first time we walked together, Yuki hadn't been completely sure what to make of me, given the incident that had occurred just the previous day. Although it was subtle, I could tell that Yuki was a lot more comfortable around me than she was when we first met in this world. She didn't act embarrassed or nervous when I talked to her. While the sight of Yuki blushing and fidgeting was so cute it was criminal, I preferred that she shouldn't be distressed around other people. Maybe if we could recruit new members of the literature club, Yuki would open up more to the people around her. Of course, recruiting new members was a thorny problem for me. I couldn't really think of anyone I knew who would be the "literary club type". Not that I would really be considered the literary type myself, but my reasons for joining were a bit different from the normal reasons that people joined clubs.

"Hey, Yuki, you wouldn't happen to know anyone in your class who might be interested in joining, do you? Someone who likes to read a lot, or who's expressed an interest in writing?"

Yuki looked pensive for a moment, and then shook her head slightly. I couldn't really say that I was surprised. Still, I was determined to find some way to solve the membership problem.

When we reached the corner market where our paths branched off, Yuki asked, "Do you want to visit? For tea?" "Sure," I replied. I would go without tea as well, but I let that go unsaid.

When we arrived at the apartment, I realized that visiting Yuki's apartment had become, not quite a routine, but something that was commonplace enough that it had lost its strangeness. In Haruhi's world, I had rarely visited Nagato's apartment, both because there simply hadn't been a reason for me to do so, and because, for whatever reason, Haruhi would get annoyed whenever I spent any time with a girl besides her. I'm still not quite sure why that was…

As Yuki and I drank our tea, we talked about books we were reading. I was re-reading _Hyperion_, the book that Nagato had, in Haruhi's world, used to send me a message to meet with her, and then again when she left the escape program. I had actually found it a very engaging read, and I was in the mood to reacquaint myself with it.

We avoided talking about the notice from the student council. Right then, it seemed like a problem that would be dealt with when it was dealt with, and there was no point in dwelling on it when there wasn't anything we could do at the moment. I left around eight, after hugging Yuki and thanking her for the tea.

As I exited the apartment, I had the distinct impression that I was being watched. Without turning, I said, "Yes, Miss Asakura?"

"Hmm, you're more perceptive than I thought," Asakura said as she seemingly appeared from nowhere. "Did you make yourself invisible?" I asked, a little disturbed at the possibility. What if she had been watching the two of us, unbeknownst? Granted, there wasn't anything that Yuki and I had done that we had to be embarrassed about Asakura seeing, but it was really the principle of the thing.

"Not quite. I can avoid being noticed by people, when I want, though. I'm surprised you noticed me right now, actually."

"So you weren't in Yuki's apartment while I was there?" I asked.

"No, I respect Miss Nagato's privacy. Why? Is there something you didn't want me to see?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at me.

"No, I just don't like the idea of someone watching me without my knowledge," I replied. I wasn't sure if she was convinced of my response, but there wasn't much I could do about it either way.

"So, any updates on the alien situation?" I asked, as we entered the elevator. For now, I decided to leave aside the issue of the literature club possibly being disbanded. It seemed that Asakura had enough on her plate at the moment. Why was this part of my life, talking with Asakura as I left Yuki's apartment, starting to seem like an obligatory routine?

"There isn't really much to say," she responded, "the Sky Canopy Dominion interface didn't make another attempt to follow you or Miss Nagato. But it will probably be back tomorrow."

I decided to ask her something that had been bothering me.

"You always refer to Kuyo Suou as 'it', or 'that thing'. But what is she, exactly? Is she an interface in the same way that you were an interface in Haruhi's world? The same way Nagato was an interface?"

"I'm not certain," said Asakura, sounding genuinely pensive, "The Sky Canopy Dominion is a strange existence. Before today, I didn't even know what it called itself. Before Miss Nagato altered the data of this world, we were aware of this entity's existence, but we had no idea of how to communicate with it, or what its nature was. We weren't even sure if it was truly alive. What I do know, right now, is that whatever it calls itself, it has threatened Miss Nagato, and it's my purpose to protect her. That's all I need to know."

Perhaps, but I had just seen Asakura almost kill Kuyo Suou today. But between Kuyo Suou's disjointed questions, and her requests for definitions for words like "abduct" and "kill", I was wondering if she truly understood what she was doing. Of course, I wouldn't want anything to happen to Yuki, and I wasn't going to ask Asakura to drop her defense. She wouldn't listen to me if I did, anyway. But I was wondering if there might not be another way of dealing with this new entity. If there was a way that didn't involve beings with unknown cosmic powers fighting each other to the death and warping reality in the process, that would probably be a better solution.

These were the thoughts in my mind as Asakura exited the elevator, and I completed my journey to the ground floor. I noticed that the man at the desk gave me a somewhat disapproving look as I exited. He had seen me arrive a few times with Yuki already, and I suppose he might have made certain assumptions about what we did alone in her apartment. Not that those were true, mind you!

In any case, there didn't seem to be much that I could do about our alien interface problem at the moment, other than hope that I didn't get ambushed by Kuyo Suou on the way home. Still, she only seemed to attach any importance to me when I could bring her in close proximity to Yuki, so I figured I was safe alone. Plus, Asakura, was still remotely tracking me, just in case Kuyo Suou did try anything. In a way, I suppose, I was already being watched by Asakura. That girl was a bundle of mysteries in herself. What was she, exactly? She said that she was no longer an interface, and yet she seemed to have a lot of the same powers she had possessed before. What other abilities did she have? Was she always like this, in this world, or did this happen recently? For some reason, my mind went to that moment in the clubroom, which no one else seemed to remember, when I pushed the enter key, activating the escape program. Had that somehow "activated" Asakura's powers? But why would that happen?

The more I thought about the enigma that was Ryoko Asakura, the more I wondered if it was my lot in life to be eternally perplexed and distressed, a curse placed on me by some god punishing for my youthful self's wish to see strange things. And yet, would I really trade away the strangeness of my life for a completely normal one? I had accepted that as a consequence of choosing Yuki's world, but was I really unhappy that everything wasn't exactly normal in this world?

As I turned the street corner, however, I nearly ran into someone I hadn't expected to see at all.

"Haruhi?" I said dumbly.

"John?" she replied, looking equally surprised. It seems that she still knows me by that alias, although surely she knows it's not my real name?

"What are you doing out here, at this hour?" I asked.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," answered Haruhi, reminding me of how stubborn this girl was in any world, "And I could ask you the same question."

"True enough," I replied diplomatically, "I was just curious, you know. I haven't seen you since," and here I trailed off. "Yeah," Haruhi replied. We both knew what I meant. The day I brought Haruhi and Koizumi to the clubroom, with Asahina in tow. Haruhi and I remembered what followed slightly differently, though. She thought I had pushed the shift key, rather than the enter key on the keyboard, deactivating the escape program. I, on the other hand, remembered activating the escape program, going back to Tanabata three years ago, hearing the whole story from Nagato, traveling back to the morning of December 18th, and then deciding, at the last minute, that I would stay in Nagato's world, for her sake, and then winding back in the clubroom.

Haruhi had berated me at the time for my decision. And logically speaking, it should have cast doubt on my whole story. After all, presumably I could have rigged everything up and then just pressed the shift key, since disappearing would be rather difficult. But then there was our mysterious meeting three years ago, which had to be explained. And of course, there was the fact that Haruhi _wanted_ to believe what I said, once she had some evidence for it. She wanted to meet aliens, time travelers, and espers, and someone walking up and telling her that he came from a world where all three existed and hung out with Haruhi must have been a dream come true for that girl.

Just as the silence was starting to get awkward, Haruhi said:

"You know, although you're a lot more boring than I expected a slider to be, I'm still sort of interested in searching for weird things in this world, John. I was wondering about the group you were a part of in your world. Would you be interested in trying to start something like that in this world?"

I had considered the possibility, but it had just sort of fallen by the wayside. After all, part of what made the SOS Brigade fun was the fact that I hung out with an alien, a time traveler, and an esper, as well as someone with the craziest power of them all. Without those supernatural beings existing in this world, I figured, there was no point in being in a club devoted to looking for them. Of course, that was before I was jarred into the sudden realization that there were still aliens, at least, in this world, and stranger beings. Oh, Haruhi, if I could tell you what I've seen since our last meeting…

But it wouldn't be right to draw anyone else into this craziness, would it? While Haruhi might be thrilled to meet a genuine alien like Kuyo Suou, the latter's reaction might be problematic. Knowing Haruhi, if I told her that Kuyo Suou was an alien and now went to North High, she'd probably transfer herself there just so she could seek out this oddity. That would be dangerous for her. And while Haruhi could get on my nerves, I didn't wish any ill on her.

"I don't know, Haruhi. I'm actually in the literature club now. I've got a bit on my plate right now, since the Student Council at our school wants to disband the club for lack of members. Nagato and I are the only ones right now, so we have to recruit at least three more."

Haruhi replied, "Oh. I didn't know you were the literary type." Well, I'm not, really, but that wasn't the primary reason I joined. "Sort of," I replied. I wondered if she even caught any of what I said after "literature club".

We found ourselves walking side-by-side, silently. I wondered where Haruhi lived. I had never been to her place, and had no idea what part of town she lived in. Was she walking home, or was I leading her further away?

"Well, maybe when you've got that problem worked out, you can take days that you don't have anything to do with the literature club and meet with Koizumi and me. Oh, and of course Miss Nagato could come too, if she wanted." Haruhi's enthusiasm seemed to drop as she uttered the last sentence. I wondered why that was.

Honestly, it probably could be fun to do some of the things the SOS Brigade did. Even a lot of the mundane activities were fun, although I spent most of my time complaining about them.

"I'll think about it," I replied.

Haruhi still looked a little down. Then, suddenly, her expression brightened, "Hey, what if Koizumi and I joined your club? Then we could hang out, and you could avoid getting disbanded!"

Now, Haruhi is an intelligent person, but she has a tendency not to think through things before saying them. Not that I'm necessarily in a position to criticize over such a trait. "Haruhi," I replied, "there are a few problems with that. You and Koizumi aren't students at North High, so you probably can't be members of a club there. Also, we'd still only have four members." Although if it were possible, that would help our membership problem a lot. We would only have to recruit one more person, rather than three more. On the other hand, an eccentric person like Haruhi might scare others away.

"Hm," Haruhi replied, "Hey! What if we recruited that cutie with the big boobs? What's her name?"

"Mikuru Asahina?" I replied, "I think she's scared of us, especially of me. And I'm pretty sure her friend Miss Tsuruya would kill me if we kidnapped her again like you did the last time. And that still brings us back to the problem of you and Koizumi not being students at North High. Of course, it would be absurd to transfer schools over such a minor thing as joining a club."

"Actually," Haruhi cut in, "I think the schools in our area have a club member exchange agreement. So it might be possible to join. I'll check on it in the office at Kouyouen tomorrow. And if it's not allowed, I'll make them allow it!" It's almost as if Haruhi reverts to her old personality whenever I'm around!

"I still don't know if you and Koizumi would count towards our official membership, though," I replied seriously.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Honestly, you've got to be more spontaneous, John." I'm plenty spontaneous. It's just that whenever you get an idea in your head, you get out of control! Still, despite myself I was finding that I sort of liked the idea of hanging out with the old members of the SOS Brigade, even if they weren't supernatural anymore.

"I don't know, I guess we can see about it," I acceded.

Haruhi talked excitedly about her plans to search for supernatural beings for a while longer before we parted ways.

As I headed the rest of the way home, I thought about all that had happened today. I had heard Taniguchi speculate that Yuki and I were dating, found out that Kuyo Suou was now at North High, witnessed a battle between Kuyo Suou and Ryoko Asakura, been informed that the literature club was to be disbanded, and, to top it all off, I had run into Haruhi. Too stressful! Is there a deity out there that wants to give me a premature heart attack?

When I got home, I took a long bath. I found that this always helped when I was under a lot of stress and needed to unwind. As I got dressed for bed, I felt a lot less overwhelmed than I had before. But I was still exhausted. I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.


End file.
